Miroctane Moments
by OhMyViolet
Summary: Mirage and Octane are a couple, trying to make a relationship work in the world of Apex Legends
1. Kid Talk

"Why are we here again?", Octavio sighed, dragging his feet causing his sneakers to squeak on the linoleum. He turned to face his partner who was pushing a grocery cart in front of him, looking all too pleased with himself.

"Because, my love, in case you hadn't noticed our home is lacking sus-susten...We have no food".

"We haven't starved yet, amor", he protested, softly, following the trickster down one of the many lengthy aisles.

"I can't live off take out again this week", Elliott chuckled, running a hand over his stomach. "We can't all burn it off as quickly as you".

Octavio watched with great interest as the black fabric was smoothed over his boyfriend's abs.

"I don't mind a little dad bod, cariño".

Elliott hummed in amusement.

"If only my sponsors felt the same".

They continued around the supermarket in comfortable silence, save for the occasional comment from Elliott, as he tossed various products into their cart. Octavio loved his significant other but, this had to be the most boring activity he'd ever taken him on. Elliott had put him in charge of pushing the cart, at some point, allowing him to have some entertainment as he rode it at some speed down the aisles, only to receive a raised eyebrow and a quick scolding from his other half when he crashed into a fruit display.

"But I'm so booooored", he pouted, as he leaned on the cart. "Mira, this is a waste of time. Think of all the other fun stuff we could be doing instead of this".

"Like what?", Elliott decided to humour him, in the hopes it might stop his complaining for five seconds.

"Like...going to that new ice cream place, or doing backflips off the top of the Apex building...or each other", Octavio ran his tongue, over his lips ensuring to display his lip piercing in the process.

"Tempting", the trickster responded, smirking back at him. "I could really go for some ice cream".

"You're an asshole", the younger legend, quipped, shoving the other playfully.

"Mierda, I just don't see why we can't order the groceries", Octavio spoke, complaining again.

"Because", Elliott sighed. "When we do it ourselves, we get to see how far we've come". He couldn't help but smile bashfully, at the low whistle emitted from his boyfriend, as he bent over to grab something from the shelf, to prove his point.

"Ya see, back in the day, before I bought the bar, I used to live off these babies. Ten cents instant ramen". He winked at Octavio, before tossing some cups into the cart. "But now we can have, wait for it...fifty cents instant ramen". The speedster audibly snorted at the display.

"I'll admit, I didn't even know they made ten cent ramen".

"Sorry, we didn't all grow up with CEO parents", Elliott teased. Octavio simply flipped him off in response.

"I just like to know what our options are", the trickster continued. "Mark my words, when we have kids, they sure as hell won't be living off turkey leviathans".

Octavio nodded absentmindedly to himself, as he continued to follow his partner around the aisles. It took a couple of moments for the cogs in his brain to start turning, realising what Elliott had just said, causing him to stop in his tracks.

"When we have...kids?".

Elliott stopped now, turning to face his partner, cheeks flushed slightly.

"I just m-meant that y'know, if w-we did. Not like...not n-now! I just thought m-maybe down the line...We don't h-have to! I d-don't even c-care either way! Could you imagine me being a dad? I'd be a t-terrible dad. I'd probably be just like my dad and he was barely even a dad. I r-remember this one t-time…".

Octane reached out, wrapping his pinky finger around Elliott's.

"Ell, you're rambling. Mira, it's not a big deal, alright?".

"Y-yeah, I know", the trickster seemed to take a deep breath, before letting it go, composing himself. "I think we might have forgot something. I'm gonna just go grab it".

"Elliott…".

"I'll be r-right back".

Octavio watched him walk away, at a swift pace before he could press the matter further. He felt bad. He didn't mean for the exchange to happen the way it did, but Elliott had taken him by surprise. They'd never discussed the notion of starting a family before. He didn't think Elliott was the type to want to settle down that way, since it would only add to the mountain of responsibilities he already had. Octavio didn't really think about the future too much, normally living life in the moment and taking every day as it came. However, it was now becoming apparent that Elliott felt differently. He wasn't completely opposed to the idea but, the thought of having that much responsibility was scary. He wondered if he should bring it up, when he got back. So he waited. And waited. And waited.

Octavio drummed his fingers in the cart impatiently. When there was no sign of his significant other returning, he decided the best course of action was to take the cart and wander through the aisles until he found him. Just when he thought all hope was lost, he recognised the sound of warm laughter echoing from the back of the store. Following it, he eventually stumbled across Elliott who was having a fairly animated conversation with a woman he hadn't seen before, and what he assumed was her teenage daughter who was not so subtly taking photos of the exchange. The trickster's attention was held on the tiny toddler peering up and pointing at him, while the woman scolded her daughter.

"Crissie, if you want a picture with Mr Mirage, you could be polite and ask. I'm so sorry about all this".

"Mom!", the girl protested, blushing profusely.

"It's no trouble really. We'd be nothing without the viewers, after all", Elliott smiled gently at the girl, as she nodded dumbly and fumbled around with her phone. She pulled her mother into the frame, and the three began to pose for the picture, only to be interrupted by a high pitched shriek. The woman began to laugh, looking down at the pouting toddler.

"I think someone's upset he's not in the picture".

Even from a distance, Octavio could see the shimmer in Elliott's eyes as he looked down at the small child who was still pointing up at him.

"M-may I?", he asked, turning to the woman, his Mirage persona faltering for a moment. She nodded and smiled warmly, as Elliott scooped the tiny human into his arms. The teenage girl snapped a selfie of the group, before they engaged in a few more minutes of conversation. However, when the woman decided it was time they go their separate ways, they were met by some resistance from the child, who decided he would prefer to stay clinging to Elliott's shirt. Octavio couldn't help but grin like an idiot, as he watched his boyfriend gently coax the toddler back into his mother's arms, ruffling his hair.

"You're gonna wanna stay with your mom, kiddo. I'm sure she's a lot cooler than me, anyway".

It wasn't until he had said his goodbyes to the family, did Elliott notice Octavio grinning at him from across the way, and he smiled back sheepishly.

"Why are you looking at me like that?", he asked, as he approached the speedster, who still couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

"Oh, nothing, amor. There's just something about the cheese aisle that made me realise how much I love you".

"Oh yeah?", Elliott hummed, wrapping his arms around the smaller legend, pulling him closer. "As it turns out, I'm pretty fondue you too". Octavio groaned into his chest.

"You don't even have kids yet and you're already making dad jokes".

"Yet?", Elliott perked up, as his partner pulled away and began pushing the shopping cart towards the pay stations. Octavio shrugged casually but threw a cheeky wink over his shoulder.

"You never know what the future might hold, cariño".


	2. Nightmares

_Lying on his back, his vision was black, spotted with occasional blimps of bright orange and red. The heat bit at his skin, cashing it to flare red and become tacky. Chest heaving and lungs clotted with burning smoke, he reached forward in an attempt to remove whatever was placing this insufferable weight on him. His hands slipped against its surface as the heat began to engulf him, causing him to sweat harder. Beads trickled from his forehead, into his panic stricken eyes, blinding him further. _

_"Elliott? Where are you?",a voice called out for him. He could hear the sound of light footsteps nearby._

_"M-mom?", he tried to call back, but the burning in his lungs made it come out like a choked sob._

_"Elliott?!", the call was more desperate this time. _

_The crackling of wood filled his senses and his body grew hot, the words "not him too", echoing in his ears as he drifted away._

* * *

Elliott startled awake, breathing heavily. Beads of cold sweat rolled across his forehead and chest, making him shiver. He sat up, drawing his knees into himself and rested his chin against them. He did his best to get his breathing under control but to little avail.

"Elliott?", a sleepy voice protruded itself from the mass of pillows and blankets next to him. He could barely make out the small frame of his boyfriend as he shuffled towards him in the dark. Elliott internally cursed himself, hating for his significant other to see him this way.

Octavio reached a hand up to rest on the shadowy figure's bicep, quickly moving to sit up when he noticed the layer of sweat sticking to his partner's quivering skin.

"Hey", the speedster spoke with a hushed and gentle manner, a tone he seemed to reserve for just Elliott. He snaked his arms around the brunette's torso, allowing a familiar warmth to seep into the trickster's body.

"What's the matter, amor?".

"Nothing", Elliott sighed, patting his boyfriend's arm gently. "I'm fine".

"You're shaking".

The trickster slipped out from under the sheets, quickly making his way across the room. He wasn't fine, but he didn't need Octavio to know that. He opened the bathroom door with shaky fingers, closing it shut behind him. He paced the room, barely feeling the bitter cold of the tiles under his bare feet, as his heart rate quickened. Everything about that dream felt so real. Like he was really there. Like he was really...dead. The call of his name from his mother, sounding more and more desperate by the second, made his heart ache. He kept trying to tell himself it was okay, until it wasn't. His body felt overwhelmed by the cocktail of emotions he was feeling, and yet somehow he felt nothing at all. His head throbbed, his mind straining against his racing thoughts, trying to fight against the guilt that plagued him on a daily basis. What was he doing here? He blamed himself for his brother's going MIA. If he'd been older he could have gone with them; he could have done something to help them, and save them. But instead, he was here at the Apex Games, chasing his own selfish dreams while his mother was probably sat at home, agonising over the safety of her last remaining son. His breath felt like it was escaping him too quickly for him to keep up. His fingers trembled as he curled them into a tight fist, clenching his eyes shut as warm tears of frustration began to spill over his eyelashes. He wanted to scream out loud. To make it stop. But the burning in his chest only allowed him to formulate a choked sob, as he doubled over. His hands found their way into his hair, gripping it so tightly he could've easily torn his curls from his skull. His legs gave out, leaving him sliding down the bathroom wall, into a heap on the ground. The bitterness of the tiles bit at his skin as his chest rose and fell, gasping for air as the sobs continued to wrack his body, crashing over him like tidal waves.

"Elliott?"

Someone called for him, the sound followed by a couple of quick raps on the bathroom door.

"Are you okay?".

He shuffled against the tiles, his heart rate quickening again. He felt like his brain had frozen over, and he must have taken too long to answer because suddenly the door was opening and his boyfriend was standing next to him.

"Amor? What's wrong?"

Elliott couldn't bring himself to answer, aggressively wiping at the dampness on his cheeks. His body still quivered uncontrollably, like it was going to fall apart under the strain at any moment. A hand was on his shoulder now, shaking him slightly.

"Elliott? Elliott, are you okay? Did you fall?"

"I...c-can't...brea-...br-breath...prop-prop-properly."

The grip on his shoulder tightened.

"Should I call a doctor?".

"N-n-no."

"Um...okay," Octavio breathed, uneasily.

The runner wasn't quite sure what was happening or how to deal with this situation. He'd never really dealt with anything like this before. Feelings weren't really his area of expertise, especially the bad ones. What he did know, is that he wanted his boyfriend to be okay, so he tried to keep his voice as gentle as he could.

"You're gonna get cold sitting there."

Elliott's fingers dug into the fabric of his pyjamas, while his partner abruptly stood and rushed into their bedroom, returning with a heavy blanket.

"Can I...Is it okay if I touch you?" the younger legend asked, as he crouched beside him.

Elliott felt like a frightened animal, but nodded, clinging to the soft material as it was draped over his shoulders. Octavio's hands remained on his arms afterwards, offering a comforting weight.

"What happened, amor? Can you stand? Are you sure you don't want me to get someone because I can call someone. Ajay, maybe? If you don't want a doctor?"

Elliott frantically shook his head, in response. He didn't need anyone else seeing him like this.

"It's okay, you don't need to cry anymore", Octavio attempted to soothe his partner, dabbing at his tears with his thumb. "I'm here. Or...at least I'm trying my best."

Elliott hadn't even noticed he'd started crying again, and he suddenly felt an awful lot worse. Not only was he feeling terrible, but now he was making his partner feel bad too, and had dragged him out of bed in the middle of the night.

"It's okay, Ell."

The words were repeated over and over into his ears, but he couldn't tell if they were for his comfort or for Octavio's anymore. He allowed himself to be pulled into a tight hug, as the runner rocked them back and forth, a little too fast. He probably wouldn't have been able to resist if he wanted to, he felt so weak. He clung to his partner's shirt like a drowning man, clinging desperately to a long awaited life raft.

Some time later, they sat in bed together again. The trickster sipped at the glass of water he'd been given in silence; eventually placing it on the bedside table to lay back down. Octavio brought Elliott closer, pulling him inwards so he could rest his head on his chest. They lay in silence for some time. Octavio absentmindedly ran his fingers along his lover's hipbone, the motion combined with the sound of the speedster's heartbeat created a calming atmosphere for holo-technician as he sifted through his thoughts.

"Are you having those dreams again?", Octavio eventually asked him, laying his hand flat against his lover's hip now, as if trying to ground them both. Even though he always asked when he found him awake during the night, Elliott was still somehow caught off guard by the question. The other nights weren't this bad.

"Oh, well...like not r-really. Just, y'know stupid dreams that make no s-sense".

"We can talk about it, you know. If you want", Octavio offered, moving his attention to his partner's lower back this time. A few moments passed before he felt Elliott shake his head against his chest, signifying a "no".

"Well if not me, then someone else, cariño. If you're having recurring nightmares then you should talk to-".

Elliott groaned loudly in protest, as he buried his face into the speedster's chest, causing his speech to become muffled.

"They're just stupid dreams. Who cares? It's not like they mean anything".

"I care".

"Well then you'll stop trying to get me to t-talk to someone. I'm not crazy, you know".

Octavio hummed in acknowledgment.

"Okay, I'm just trying to help".

"I know and...I'm sorry for being an ass. It's just, I'm not...good with his stuff", Elliott spoke, taking Octavio's free hand in his own, lacing their fingers together.

"Me neither. I wish I knew how to help better."

"You can help me".

"Oh yeah? How? Special relaxation tricks?", Octavio responded mischievously, only to receive a poke in the ribs in return.

"More cuddles would be a good start", Elliott replied, curling one arm around his partner's slim torso.

The speedster ran his hand up the other's back, eventually nestling it into his hair.

"I can do that".

He continued to run his fingers through the trickster's hair until he fell asleep, deciding to try and stay awake for a while longer, watching over him. He never knew why but, he always seemed to have a thing for the stubborn ones.


	3. Whisky Dicked

Octavio yawned loudly as he stretched himself out on the couch. He rubbed at his eyes, which were now bloodshot and itchy. He'd spent the last few hours watching terrible horror movies. He needed to get a rush somehow after the day he'd had. The biggest game of the season happened today, and his squad did poorly to put it lightly. He knew it would be a challenge since he was assigned to a team he'd barely worked with before, but he hadn't anticipated just how bad it would be. They'd been eliminated early in the game which meant he got to sit back and watch Gibraltar, Lifeline and Mirage take the win for themselves. He was happy for them of course. Gibraltar was a nice guy and he couldn't help but be proud of his best friend and boyfriend. They played an amazing game. But yet, as he watched the credits full of actors he'd never heard of roll across the TV screen, and he eyed the old takeout cartons littering the coffee table, he felt a low blow to his pride.

He scrubbed a hand through his hair, and reached for his phone, squinting momentarily as the screen lit up his features. 3:17am. He was tired, but he didn't sleep well at the best of times and wasn't bothered to even try without Elliott here with him. The trickster was out partying right now. Gibraltar was known throughout the Apex Games to throw a gathering for the top two squads, whenever he won. Octavio had the pleasure of attending once, and damn did Gibraltar know how to cook up a good meal. The speedster sighed to himself, wondering if he should continue his pity party with another movie. He was about to give in, and press play when he heard the sound of keys scraping against the door of the apartment, followed by the sound of muffled giggles.

Hauling himself off the couch which great effort, he made his way to the door, taking a moment to peer through the peephole before opening it. It was almost comical what he found on the other side. Elliott was staring at his set of keys with a confused look on his face, while Ajay slumped against the door frame. Makao stood back, watching the scene with amusement. He seemed totally fine, save for his face having a slightly rosier glow than normal. The same couldn't be said for his teammates however.

"Evenin' brotha", the larger man greeted him, causing Elliott to notice him for the first time. A goofy smile spread across his face, as he fumbled to get his keys back into his pocket. Ajay looked on fondly at the pair as the trickster had more difficulty with his speech than usual.

"Oh, baaabe. Did, did you s-see us win-winning the thing?".

"I did, amor. Congratulations".

Elliott brushed past him, stumbling into the apartment.

"Aaaand, this is your kill leader",he said, pointing to himself. "Mirage is back in business, baby".

"I think the only business Mirage has right now, is with his bed", Makao chuckled, his laugh booming a little too loudly for the time of night. He was soon joined by Elliott who laughed mischievously, and wrapped an arm around Octavio's shoulders. He smelled like whiskey, spices and cigars.

"Thaaat sounds like an excel-eggcel-...a great idea".

He grinned down at his partner, brown eyes dilated and unfocused. He poked his chest gently with every word.

"Baby, I am gonna rock your world".

With that, the holo-technician wandered off in the direction of the bedroom. Octavio looked back helplessly, to the pair who still stood in the doorway. Ajay was now doubled over with laughter, tears streaming down her face.

"Well, uh... muchas gracias for getting him home, I guess".

Octavio sighed to himself, as he made his way towards the bedroom. It had taken him another few minutes to convince the other two legends that maybe it was also past their bedtimes. He rubbed at his eyes, which were struggling to stay open at this point. Entering the bedroom, he found his boyfriend already sprawled out on the bed. He looked like he was already sleeping. Lucky him. Octavio decided to task himself with removing Elliott's clothes, so he could tuck him in properly, starting with his shoes but was promptly stopped when he got to his belt buckle.

"W-wait, no, baby. I was just trying to s-sound cool in front of Gibraltar. I can't fuck you r-right now, I'm whiskey dicked", Elliott mumbled, eyes half closed.

"You're what?", Octavio laughed, as he pulled off Elliott's pants, discarding them on the floor. "And what's this about Gibraltar? Should I be concerned, amor?".

Elliott abruptly sat up, and swung his legs around so he was perched on the side of the bed, moving so fast he made himself noticeably dizzy.

"No. No...Never. I love you, Tav. Noone else".

Octavio smiled weakly at his partner, as he began working to undo the buttons of his dress shirt.

"What's the mat-matter, baby? You seem...sad", the trickster said softly, the slur in his words somehow adding to their sincerity. Octavio's eyes flicked between meeting the trickster's and looking towards the floor.

"It's well, it's...it's nothing it doesn't matter. I don't wanna take away from your big night, with my crap". He finished undoing the buttons as he spoke and removed the shirt, tossing it to the side, leaving his lover in nothing but his underwear.

"I am so proud of you, cariño".

Even in the dim lighting, Octavio could see Elliott's eyes shimmer as that smile he loved so much began to brighten up his face. He laughed somewhat awkwardly at the praise.

"I, heh, uh, guess I was p-pretty proud of me, too. There's word going around that I can expect a pretty fat pay cheque".

Elliott placed a hand on each of his partner's hips, drawing him closer.

"But, y'know. Some things are more important than all that. So, if there's something bothering you, you tell me. Okay?".

Octavio removed himself from his partner's grasp, and began making his way to his own side of the bed. Elliott slid under the covers, watching as the younger legend pulled his shirt over his head, before plopping down on the other side of the bed, to begin removing his prosthetics, ensuring to keep his back to the trickster as he did so.

"It's just...I don't know, I was really hyped for that game and to get knocked out so early just...doesn't feel good".

He reluctantly turned to face his boyfriend, who was now, reaching out to him, making a grabby hands gesture, like a child pining for attention.

"Come here, babe. I wanna hug you".

The speedster made his way under the sheets, and was quickly met with a warm embrace.

Elliott just held him for a few moments, gigging quietly to himself when Octavio buried his face into the crook of neck, tickling him. As needy as it was, he just wanted to be able to smell him, wrapping his arms tighter around his chest, so he could breathe in as much of it as possible. There were many things in life that excited Octavio but there was very little that could calm him back down. He remembers teasing Elliott when he first found out the holo-technician was a fan of fruit scented shampoos. But now, as the scent of jasmine and coconut, combined with the natural musk that forever radiated from his boyfriend, Octavio could not imagine ever wanting to smell anything else ever again. He sighed contently, when a gentle hand slid into his hair. Elliott's fingers grazed lightly over his scalp as be began to mumble words into his lover's forehead. Despite the quietness of his tone, combined with a small slur, Octavio could tell he was doing his best to not fumble over his words.

"When I get my cheque, I'm gonna treat you to something real nice. I think we could use a vacation or something, now the season's over". His voice was low and husky now, as the clutches of sleep grasped at him, causing a tingle to run down Octavio's spine.

"That's your money", the younger legend protested, simultaneously attempting to stifle a yawn. "Spend it on you. You wanted a new suit, didn't you?".

"Mmm, new suits and money is fun and all but, the best thing to come out of these games is right here". Elliott planted a wet kiss on the other's forehead as if to emphasize his point.

A small chuckle, escaped Octavio.

"I think that's the alcohol talking, amor".

"It's not!", the trickster protested, adjusting their position so he could force the other to look into his eyes. "Why's it so hard for you to believe that I might just really fucking love you?".

"I know you do, cariño. You just...say cute things when you're drunk".

"Well", Elliott began, making himself more comfortable so he could finally settle down for the night. "I guess I'll just have to make the effort to say them more often when I'm sober".

"Me too, mi amor", Octavio agreed, snuggling closer. "But just for the record, I really fucking love you too".


	4. Hospitalized

Elliott dashed down the corridor of the medical wing, his combat boots squeaking on the freshly waxed floor, as he rounded a corner with speed. He was still dressed in his ring attire, not long out of the action. It was scary, watching King's Canyon be invaded by leviathans and flyers as the environment began to crumble around him. He could still feel the sore spot on his forehead from where Octavio had kicked him, knocking him out. He couldn't be too mad, since that's the arrangement they came up with when they started dating. No lethal blows, unless it couldn't be avoided. Technically, it was cheating to have predetermined plans with the opposition, so the odd kick or punch, combined with an occasional "missed" bullet here and there was unavoidable, if they wanted to keep up their ruse. However, Elliott couldn't help but think, sending him back to respawn with a bullet between his eyes would have been the kinder thing for Octavio to do, given the circumstances. If it wasn't for Pathfinder, pulling him out of the wreckage, he could have easily met a much more gruesome end, at the claws of a terrifying sky beast.

His own demise was the least of his worries right now, as he continued to make his way through the medical wing, eagerly looking for someone to talk to. He eventually found an older looking nurse, who was aggressively scribbling notes on her clipboard.

"Er, ex-excuse me. I'm looking for Octavi-...I mean, I'm looking for Octane".

The woman peeked up at him, over her glasses. He could almost feel her silver eyes burning through him.

"He's here but we're not allowing visitors. Family only".

"What do you mean, family only? I'm his boyfriend!", Elliott huffed. "Who even has family to visit them out here anyway?".

"Family only means family only. Rules are rules".

Elliott's hands balled into fists, clenching at his sides. Was this lady for real? It took every scrap of his willpower to not just shove her aside and go find Octavio himself. His patience was beginning to wear dangerously thin, until a calming voice intervened.

"Let him pass, Beth. He won't do any harm", Lifeline soothed, appearing out of nowhere like a guardian angel.

"He's in the fifth room on the left", the nurse spoke cooly as she walked away. "You have five minutes".

Ajay beckoned for him to follow her down the hall, remaining silent until Elliott fell into step with her.

"Be honest with me...How is he? Really?".

The medic sighed, reaching to adjust her headband. Ajay was one of the few who knew about their relationship. Octavio believed they could trust her not to out them and their arrangement to those in charge.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. All I know is, after they got back to base he just...collapsed. Totally unresponsive. I overheard one of the doctors saying something about the stim, and the adrenaline of the whole situation. And then with the shock from Natalie. It's all pretty taxing on the body".

Elliott nodded slowly as she filled him in. She sounded tired, and now that he took a moment to actually look at her, she looked tired too.

"They won't let me hang around too much. Said I always interfere too much in his cases", a sad laugh escaped her.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I know this can't be easy for you either", Elliott sympathised. He knew he was right. Ajay just shrugged, coming to a stop outside Octavio's room.

"You should probably make the most of those five minutes".

The room was dim and eerily quiet, save for the beeping of a couple of monitoring machines, which were connected to a motionless figure laid out in the hospital bed. Elliott crept closer, to get a better look. He almost didn't recognise Octavio without his regular lust for life. Instead, he just lay there, eyes shut, pale skin. He looked smaller and more fragile than usual, like if he was disturbed he might shatter into pieces. Elliott perched on the edge of the bed, regardless, eagerly searching for any sense of closeness to his love. He slid his hand into the other's, which to his relief was still warm.

"Hey baby, it's me".

He felt stupid, as he sat there waiting for a response, knowing he wouldn't get one. He began to rub small, circles into the back of the other's hand with his thumb, a calming exercise more for himself than his boyfriend.

"I, uh...that was pretty scary, huh? Those flyers just came out of nowhere. Can you...even hear me? Though, I guess it wouldn't be the first time I was caught talking to myself".

Elliott cleared his throat, as he shifted closer to the speedster, trying to ignore the lump that was starting to form, making it difficult for him to keep talking. He tightened his hold on his partner's limp hand, before bringing it level with his face so he could brush his lips against Octavio's knuckles.

"Please, wake up baby. I...Today was really scary and I don't...well, I don't really wanna go home alone tonight".

It's strange how drastically a situation can change, in the matter of a few seconds. One minute he was kissing his boyfriends forehead and telling him how much he loved him, and the next he was being ushered out of the room by countless medical staff, as emergency lights began to flash over his head and the casual beeping of the machines was now going haywire. He remembers asking someone what was happening but doesn't remember getting an answer. What he does remember, was the overwhelming feeling of nausea and lightheadedness, that seemed to sweep him away from the scene like he was looking at it from the outside. Like he wasn't really there. The aching and burning in his chest told him otherwise. This was very much real and he was very much there. He could hear someone calling for him but didn't recognise who it was. He leaned against the wall for moment, eventually slumping to the floor as he lost the battle against the lump in his throat, tears streaming down his face.

Anita hated the hospital wing. It was always full of people crying about injuries that were barely a scratch. Natalie had guilt tripped into her staying around until they heard some news about their squadmate. However, the younger woman soon grew tired and had curled up on a couch in the waiting room and fell asleep, exhausted after the events of the day. She, on the other hand, was on the search for caffeine. She wasn't expecting to find one of her fellow legends having a full blown panic attack in the middle of the hall.

"Mirage?", she called out, jogging slowly towards him. She dropped to her knees beside her comrade, examining the situation. She couldn't count the amount of times she'd come across similar situations during her time as a soldier. It was just part of life back then. Here? Not so much.

"Elliott? Hey, what's the matter with you?". The trickster didn't answer. Instead, he seemed to pull his knees closer to chest, burying his head in them and he continued to let out choked sobs, shoulders rising and falling unnaturally fast as his body begged for oxygen.

"Come on, you're better than this. Get up".

"Not...gonna...l-lose...c-can't", he gasped, as Anita wrapped two firm hands around his wrists, hauling him to his feet, ignoring whatever resistance he tried to put up. He stumbled a bit at first, forcing Anita to support his weight as she practically carried him to a nearby bench.

It took some time for Elliott to calm down. Anita watched as his shoulders began to settle back down but remained holding some obvious tension.

"Why are you here?", he eventually asked, voice dry and scratchy. The question catching the soldier off guard.

"Nat. She wanted to see if Octavio is alright".

"She would do that", Elliott laughed, but there was no amusement behind it, sounding somewhat bitter.

"Why are you here?", she repeated his question. He didn't look hurt but she noticed how his shoulders rose again. He hunched over in his seat, resting both elbows on his knees as he did so.

"Same reason as you, I guess".

"Didn't know you were close", Anita responded.

The offhand comment seemed to strike a chord with her companion. He stood up abruptly, moving to lean his head against the window looking into Octavio's room. He couldn't see much, due to the shutter blinds on the window obscuring his view. Being this little bit closer brought him some comfort, his seat across the hall feeling too far away. He considered his options. This really hurt. Hurt more than anything he'd ever felt in the ring. He didn't have anything left to lose, when he was already on the verge of losing everything.

"I love him".

Anita drew her attention away from her hands, which she was absentmindedly picking the skin of. A bad habit from when she was a child. Her gaze, instead fell on the trickster, who sounded entirely broken. He said his words quietly, as if he was uttering some dirty secret, bound to get him in trouble.

"I love him and it's killing me I can't do anything. I can never fucking do anything when this kind of shit happens".

He punched the wall, with an aggressive grunt.

Anita had seen this type of behaviour before from her fellow soldiers but never from Elliott. He was normally the first to make some joke or sarcastic comment, maybe a self deprecating line here and there. She was aware of his past. He knew loss better than most people. She did too. But yet, as she watched the man pace up and down the corridor and recalled his earlier episode she couldn't help but think, he'd be used to it. Used to being the one left behind. Used to being the one always grieving. She wasn't sure if it was fortunate or not that life didn't work that way. It was rare for Anita to not have the solution. Years of military training had moulded her to be prepared for anything. She didn't know what to do here, with his outburst, with his confession. The only thing she could offer was a firm hand on his shoulder when he eventually sat back down.

They waited for what felt like forever. Anita couldn't resist the urge to pick at her hands anymore. Elliott's activity of choice had been staring at the ceiling, occasionally bending his fingers back, one by one, causing his knuckles to crack. She could probably count the amount of times he'd blinked on one hand. Both of them practically jumped out of their skin, when the door to Octavio's room slid open and a young nurse stepped into the hallway, and began looking around. Elliott got to his feet and took a cautious step towards her. She beamed at him, when she noticed his presence.

"We've managed to stabilize him. He's awake but still a little groggy".

Elliott audibly exhaled, the tension seeping from his shoulders only slightly.

"C-can I see him?"

"Of course".

Elliott stepped into the room, his boots barely making a sound as he pattered towards the bed. Another nurse, gave him a curt nod as they adjusted the IV before exiting the room, giving the pair a moment alone. Octavio smiled up at him, as the trickster perched himself on the bed, pupils dilated and a goofy smile on his face. Elliott wasn't sure if his expression was due to whatever medication he was on or because he was extremely happy to see him. He hoped it was the latter.

"You look good, amor", he said casually, as if he wasn't on death's door little over an hour ago. It must have been the meds. Elliott knew he looked a mess, especially when his body betrayed him and his laughter at the comment turned into a choked sob.

"You're such an idiot", he said, wiping at his eyes with one hand while the other slipped into his lover's hand, the gesture greeted by a gentle squeeze. "I thought I was gonna lose you there".

"Lose me?", Octavio laughed, weakly. "Death's gonna have to try harder than that. I'm not going anywhere".

"You better not, or I'll find a way to resurrect you so I can kick your ass myself".

Elliott leaned forward to place to a gentle kiss on the other's lips. A lazy arm wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer and he thanked whatever divine power, who decided to spare Octavio today, swearing to never take moments like this for granted ever again.

Anita hung idly in the doorway, watching the scene unfold. Not wanting to interrupt such an intimate moment, she decided to return to Wattson, hoping the younger woman hadn't already woken up alone. The electrician stirred from her spot on the couch, when the other woman approached her, yawning loudly.

"Let's get you home", she offered, giving the younger legend a moment to adjust to her surroundings. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Is Octavio going to be alright?"

"He is. We can maybe see him tomorrow", the soldier replied, an airy tone to her voice. "For now, I think he's in good hands".


	5. Busy Day

Octavio awoke early morning, as always. He didn't want to open his eyes just yet, instead choosing to bask in the warmth of the sheets a little bit longer. There was no game today, due to some construction in the arena so he was free to do whatever he wanted. The only thing that could make this morning any better would be a nice cuddle from his boyfriend.

"Buenos días, mi alma", he cooed, sliding his hand across the bed, with the intention of caressing his lover. To his surprise, the other side of the bed was empty. He pried his eyes open, the harsh morning sun that crept through the curtains making him squint. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he propped himself up, peering around the bedroom for any sign of his other half. The trickster's clothes from the night before were still strewn across the floor but the door to the en suite bathroom remained open, so he wasn't in there.

"Elliott?", he called out, trying to stifle a yawn at the same time. He listened intently for a response. He swore he could hear some quiet shuffling from the kitchen and decided that was his best bet of finding his lost boyfriend. Or a murderer.

Thankfully, it was Elliott who was making the noise. Octavio watched him bustle about the combined kitchen and living space, a bag slung over his shoulder and pop tart in his mouth.

"Are you trying to escape from me, mi amor?", he asked playfully, causing the other to startle and almost choke on his food.

"Oh, morning, baby. I didn't wake you did I?", the trickster replied, dropping his bag to accept the hug that was now being offered to him. Octavio breathed in his scent with a contented sigh.

"Where are you going? You're not normally up this early".

"I've got a busy day ahead of me", Elliott sighed, tightening the hug momentarily. "Gotta meet the delivery guys at the bar this morning, and then that other guy is coming later to replace the couch that got threw up on. And between all that, I gotta swing by Caustic's lab. He sent me an unusually nice text asking me to see what's up with his holo-screens. I would read it to you but I can't find my phone".

As if on cue, a merry jingle echoed throughout the room, spurring Elliott into action, tossing all the cushions off the couch before he found what he was looking for. He sank into the couch as he answered the call, soon followed by a deadpanned Octavio who plopped down next to him.

"Hello? Hey, mornin' Ajay...Again? What's wrong with it now? Did you try turning it off and back on again? Alright, alright, don't yell. I was just asking".

Octavio practically purred, as Elliott absentmindedly began running a hand through his hair as he continued his conversation with the medic. Octavio didn't really care what they were talking about. He assumed her drone was acting up again but, wasn't interested in the details. The only thing he wanted right now was his boyfriend's attention, which is why the next words Elliott spoke caused a sharp pang of disappointment in his chest.

"Well, I've got a bit on this morning but does this afternoon work? No, it's not a big deal, just meet me at the workshop. I'm not busy! I'll take a look at it, it's fine honestly. Alright, sweet. I'll see you later".

"Are you gonna be gone all day?", Octavio asked as he hung up the call, a pout on his face.

"Looks like it", the trickster responded, taking a moment to run a hand through his own hair.

"But it's our day off!", the younger legend whined. "I was hoping to have you all to myself". Elliott chuckled as his partner's hands slipped under his shirt, and nimble fingers began to lusciously graze over his stomach.

"I know, I wanna be with you too, baby, but I really need to get all this done today. You know how it is".

All the pouting in the world couldn't convince him to stay. Octavio sighed to himself as he lay on the couch, now alone. He hated having to entertain himself, especially since he'd promised Elliott he wouldn't do any stunts that were too crazy outside the arena. As much as it pained him to do so, he intended to keep that promise, or at least try to. Hauling himself off the couch with some effort, he wandered into the bathroom, stopping to look at himself in the mirror. He looked a mess, in all honesty. His hair was all over the place, the vibrant green shade that normally coloured the top of his head, now faded. He was in desperate need of a haircut. He ran a hand over his stubbled chin. He should probably shave too. Eyeing the line of various bottles and pots, which were neatly lined up on the countertop, made him feel bad. Elliott took such good care of himself, and somehow always managed to look great no matter the time of day. As he locked eyes with his reflection, and noticed the dark circles under his eyes, he decided what he was going to do for the day. He was going to make himself feel good and then go sweep his man off his feet.

Rifling through the bathroom cupboards, took longer than he'd hoped. He eventually found what he was looking for, pulling out a bottle of hair dye. It really had been a while since he did this. Grabbing a pair of gloves, he slid them onto his hands, snapping the latex against his wrist for dramatic effect. He laid his phone out on the counter, turning on some music, allowing the sounds of drums and guitars to bounce off the walls. Octavio could feel himself getting into the swing of it now, applying generous amounts of green dye to his hair, as he sang along with the music;

_I look in your eyes, _

_I really think you're fooling me,_

_You're pretty and nice, it doesn't matter don't you see, _

_I'm falling in love._

After he had sufficiently covered his head in green goop, and most of the countertop too, he turned his attention back to his face. Grabbing some shaving foam and a razer, he began the process of tidying up his stubble. For once in his life he decided to take his time, not wanting to risk any accidental nicks today. He finished up his task, running an experimental hand over his face, as the song changed over;

_Some people say my love cannot be true,_

_Please believe me, my love, and I'll show you._

_I will give you those things you thought unreal,_

_The sun, the moon, the stars all bear my seal._

He couldn't help but be curious about the pots on the counter, as he washed and toweled off his face. The speedster had several options when it came to moisturisation, so he picked one at random, and gave the contents a cautious sniff. He wasn't entirely sure what the cream was meant to do, as he began rubbing it into his cheeks. At least it smelled good. He continued to hum along to the music, as he finished up, giving himself a cheeky grin in the mirror.

_Follow me now and you will not regret,_

_leaving the life you led before we met._

_You are the first to have this love of_

_forever with me 'till the end of time._

Octavio practically slid into the shower, turning the water on to the highest heat setting. He couldn't help but bounce around to the music, as the next song came on with a more energetic beat. He watched the water turn from a murky green to clear, as it disappeared down the drain. It took him a moment to notice the colour staining his shoulders. Maybe washing the dye out in the shower wasn't the best idea. Undeterred, he persevered giving his body an extra good scrub.

_I will never sleep alone, never without you._

_Whatever you say to me, I already know._

_If I said something to you, you would take those words..._

_There's so much power in those words._

Octavio followed the beat back into the bedroom, quickly drying himself. The closet doors were swung open as he began searching for something good to wear. He took a couple of moments to search through his underwear. Where did his nice underwear disappear to? Did he even have nice underwear? Sighing he tugged on a pair of regular black boxer briefs, before turning his attention to his outfit possibilities. Octavio wasn't known for planning his outfits, typically being the "just throw on whatever, and go" type of guy. After staring at his clothes rack, for a lot longer than he'd like to admit, he eventually settled on a pair of skinny jean shorts that rested just above his prosthetics, a black t-shirt and a black and white varsity style jacket. He was surprised to see it was already almost midday, when he wandered back into the kitchen. He propped his elbows on the breakfast bar, as he considered what to do next. What would Elliott do? Lunch. The trickster hadn't had time for a proper breakfast this morning, so he was probably starting to get hungry. There was only one problem; Octavio didn't cook.

The speedster opened the fridge cautiously, as if something hiding inside might jump out and bite him. It didn't help that Elliott was on some sort of health kick at the moment, after getting some stick from one of his sponsors, so bringing him a cup of instant ramen was out of the question. Octavio's hazel eyes scanned the various vegetables in front of him. Quickly deciding his lover deserved more sustenance than just salad leaves, he set his sights on some pretty decent looking steaks. He didn't know what to do with any of this stuff. Thank goodness for the internet. Following the simplest instructions he could find online, he carefully seasoned the meat before shoving it under the grill. He sat crossed legged on the floor, peering through the glass door intently, like a young child watching their favourite teddy bear be spun around inside a washing machine. He couldn't possibly screw this up, could he?

After watching the timer on his phone like a hawk, ensuring the food had cooked for the specified amount of time, he left the meat on the counter to cool and "rest". Whatever that meant. He drummed his fingers on the counter top impatiently. Why did everything have to take so long? He sat around for a while, continuing to listen to his music, until a much slower melody began to play. A bright grin began to spread across his face, as he listened to the lyrics. He eagerly hopped down from his spot at the breakfast bar and began surveying the living room space. He had an idea.

Octavio would have been the first to admit that he could have taken another shower before exiting the apartment. Setting up his brilliant plan had left him slightly sweaty. It was now mid-afternoon and he wanted to make sure he caught Elliott before he moved onto his next activity for the day. Just as he'd hoped, the trickster was still in the Apex workshop facilities. He received a few nods of acknowledgment from the few people who recognised him without his Octane getup, as he casually strolled over to his boyfriend, whose face lit up when he saw him approach.

"Whoa, watch out for the dreamboat coming in to dock", Elliott commented, emitting a low whistle. "Did you do something with your hair?". He pulled the younger legend into a hug, placing a quick peck on his lips.

"I like this", he said, running his fingers down the sleeve of the jacket, Octavio wore. "Is that new?".

"Oh, this old thing? Just something I threw on", the speedster responded, perching himself on the workbench, where Ajay's drone was laid out.

"So, not that I'm not glad to see you but, what are you doing here?".

Octavio watched with hungry eyes, as his partner wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his sleeve before pushing his goggles up to rest on his forehead. It baffled him, how Elliott could be covered in grease and wearing an oil-stained pair of navy overalls and still be so incredibly easy on the eyes.

"I missed you, amor", he said, turning his attention to the messenger bag that hung across his body, pulling out a tupperware container and fork and shyly passing them to the other. "And I uh, brought you lunch".

Elliott's eyes softened, as he opened the container and was greeted by the delicious smell of freshly spiced meat and salad.

"D-did you make this?", he asked, a goofy smile spreading to his face when his lover nodded in response. "You don't cook".

"Well, I just...thought you'd be hungry. I don't know if it tastes good or not".

Octavio felt like a kid who just made their parents a crappy surprise breakfast, as he watched Elliott tuck into the food.

"Mmm, this is really good, baby. Thank you. I'm starving", he hummed, turning to place a quick kiss on the speedster's cheek before, continuing to devour the lunch.

"Would you two get a room? All this adorableness is making me feel sick", Ajay teased, as she approached the pair.

"Good thing your drone's all set to go then", Elliott quipped back.

Ajay peered into the box he was holding.

"Somethin' smells good. What is that?"

"Tav made it".

The medic looked her friend up and down, suspiciously.

"You don't cook".

"I did today. Meirda, it's not a big deal".

He stuck his tongue out at the young woman, who reached over to pinch his cheeks, teasingly.

"Aww, someone's got it so bad".

"Don't you have some lives to save or something?", Octavio quipped, playfully swatting her hands away.

"Actually, yes,'' she said, scooping her robot into her arms. "Thank you so much, Elliott. I seriously owe you one."

"Not a problem. See you in two days when you break it again", the trickster called after her, as she began walking away, stopping only momentarily to impishly flip him off, causing him to laugh.

Elliott discarded the now empty container on the workbench, moving to stand between Octavio's spread legs, as he draped his arms over his shoulders.

"I suppose now, I should probably thank you for that lunch, huh?".

Octavio's hands moved to rest on his lover's hips, a devilish glint in his eye.

"Well, I am a fan of that earlier suggestion of us getting a room".

Elliott let out a mock gasp, feigning offense at the remark.

"And here I thought you just being nice to me. Mr Silva, am I right in thinking you're just trying to sway me into bed with you?".

"I've never had a hard time convincing you before, mi amor".

The trickster chuckled, moving one hand from the other's shoulder to tilt his chin up as he began to lean down. Octavio parted his lips slightly, in preparation, feeling Elliott's heat slowly approaching him, only for the moment to be completely ruined by that same merry jingle from earlier that day, causing the speedster to almost scream in frustration. Elliott shot him an apologetic look, as he picked up the call.

"Hello? Yeah, that's me. Mmhmm. Right. No, it's fine, I understand. Alright, see you then".

"That was the couch guy", Elliott informed him, turning back to face him. "He can't make it till the weekend, so that means I'm all yours for the evening".

"Wait, so does that mean you can come home now?!", Octavio asked, a wave of panic in his voice.

"Once I get all my stuff together, yeah", the trickster replied, smiling down at him.

Shit.

"Babe! Slow down, what's the rush?", Elliott complained, as he followed his boyfriend back to their apartment. Octavio was practically sprinting down the hall, wanting to buy himself as much time as possible. He quickly unlocked the door, turning to stare down his lover who was now just staring at him with a confused look on his face.

"Don't come into the living room,'' he warned, before snaking inside.

"Why not? Why are you acting so weird?", the trickster asked, cautiously as he gently placed his tool bag in the front hall of the apartment. All he really wanted was to get changed. He shrugged his overalls off his shoulders, tying the sleeves around his waist, revealing a plain white t-shirt underneath. He decided to humour the younger legend, despite it horribly paining him to do so. He didn't like the secrecy, and his mind began to race with the worst possibilities. Is this what the lunch was about? He left Octavio alone for a few hours and now he'd possibly trashed and/or broken everything in his home.

"Alright, amor. You can come in now."

Elliott timidly stepped into the room, which was shrouded in darkness, despite it still being early evening.

"Tav? W-where are you? Why are the curtains closed?".

He jumped as music was suddenly played into the room. The sound of a switch being flicked, caused the room to glow a soft orange, emitted from the string of fairy lights hung on the walls. The furniture had been pushed back against the wall, a row of tealights laid out one the coffee table. Standing in the middle of it all, was Octavio, hands shoved in his pockets and a coy smile on his face. Elliott's eyes twinkled in the dim lighting, as he took in the scene in front of him.

"What is all this?".

"Dance with me!", Octavio said, stepping forward to offer him a hand.

"I don't know how to dance!", Elliott chuckled, taking his hand and following him to the middle of the floor.

" And you think I do?", the speedster smiled back, guiding one of Elliott's hands to his waist before wrapping his own around the trickster's neck, as they swayed to the music.

_I lose control because of you babe._

_I lose control when you look at me like this._

_There's something in your eyes that is saying tonight,_

_I'm not a child anymore, life has opened the door,_

_To a new exciting life._

"You planned all this?", Elliott asked, his voice laced with endearment.

"Impressed?", came the reply, causing him to chuckle quietly.

"I mean...yeah. Though, I do feel a bit underdressed".

"You look great", Octavio purred, sneaking both hands around his lover's neck, pulling him closer. "You always look great".

"I didn't know you had a thing for oil", Elliott said sarcastically, but accepted the gesture regardless.

"Hush, cariño. Te amo tal cual eres".

"What does that mean?", the trickster asked, his curiosity causing him to lose his rhythm slightly.

Octavio sighed contently.

"I love you the way you are. Now shhh. Listen".

_I lose control because of you babe._

_I lose control don't look at me like this._

_There's something in your eyes that is saying tonight,_

_I'm so curious for more just like never before._

_In my innocent life._

"Songs like this used to bug the hell out of me", Octavio continued.

"Oh yeah?".

He hummed in acknowledgment before joining the music to sing the next part of the song softly;

_You and I just have a dream._

_To find our love a place, where we can hide away,_

_You and I were just made,_

_To love each other now, forever and a day._

"You're such a cheeseball", Elliott laughed, shoving his dance partner gently.

"But you love me for it", Octavio spoke, grinning at him.

Elliott sighed contently, titling his love's chin upwards so they could meet eyes.

"I do".

Octavio never liked this type of music before. However, as a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around him, pulling him close and soft, warm lips captured his in a deep and meaningful kiss, he wanted to listen to this music all the time, never, ever wanting it to end.

* * *

The songs used in this chapter are:

Falling in love- Scorpions.

N.I.B- Black Sabbath.

House of Sleep- Amorphis.

You and I- Scorpions.


	6. The Art of Massage

Octavio rushed down the hall, nearing his home, his arms beginning to strain under the weight of the box he was carrying. He was excited. It was a rare occurrence for a legend to be offered their own merchandise, and even rarer for them to be allowed to choose the designs. The box was full of various prototypes for him to pick from and he was hoping Elliott might be able to assist him in choosing the best ones. Or better yet, wear some of them himself. He let the large box drop the floor, as soon as he got inside their apartment, causing a loud slapping sound against the wooden flooring.

"It's me, amor! Wait till you see what I-".

He stopped when he stepped into the combined kitchen and living space, finding the room shrouded in darkness.

"Elliott?".

The only light in the room was the faint glow of a holo computer terminal in the corner of the room, which seemed to be accompanied by a silhouetted figure, slouched over the desk. As Octavio flicked on the living room lights he found, it was of course his boyfriend, who appeared to have fallen asleep at his desk. Again.

He gently brushed the curls from the trickster's eyes, allowing the harsh light to seep into them as he instinctively clenched them together. Elliott began to awake with a groan, seeming a tad confused at his surroundings, before noticing the speedster was stood next to him, quickly turning that look into a love stricken smile.

"H-hey babb-babe-baby", he rubbed at his eyes, as he fumbled his words.

It was something Octavio had always found endearing about him, how his words often seemed to escape him when he was overtired, or better yet, during sex.

"Have you been here since I left?".

Elliott cracked his neck as he squinted at the time displayed on the screen in front of him, his bloodshot and droopy eyes would give him away even if he wanted to lie.

"I, uh...I guess so".

"Elliott! I've been gone since this morning!".

"I know, baby, I know, but look at t-this", the trickster reached out for his lover's hand, encouraging him to slide into his lap.

Octavio watched as Elliott began searching through various tabs, pulling up drawings of different interior designs and furniture samples. He could feel his partner's knee jiggle with excitement underneath him, as he continued to speak.

"I think I've finally s-settled on some plans for the bar!".

Elliott had decided, not so long ago, that he wanted to refurbish his bar, in an attempt to bring in clientele that weren't mostly mercenaries or the "scum" of Solace city, as Caustic liked to call them. He'd planned to modernise the place and turn one of the old back rooms into a private party space, a business move that was turning out to be a lot more intensive and stressful than he'd originally thought. It had occupied most of his time, the last few weeks and as much as Octavio supported his decision, he was happy to see the project finally take a turn for the better. He was hopeful it might put an end to the late nights and long shifts Elliott had been pulling.

"It looks great, amor! It'll be the talk of Solace when it's done".

He could hear the weary sigh escape his partner, as he felt his chin rest on his shoulder and he was pulled into a tight hug from behind.

"I sure hope so".

"I actually have some news of my own!", Octavio hummed excitedly, as he jumped back to his feet. "New merch! I've got a box! I was thinking we could look at it together and you could tell me what you think. But...maybe we should leave it till morning. You look pretty tired."

"I'm fine. Show me, I wanna see."

Elliott stretched his hands over his head, giving the speedster a nice view of his toned stomach as his t-shirt rode up. However, not wanting to get too distracted from the task at hand just yet, he began making his way back to the front door to retrieve his charge.

"Is it heavy, babe? Let me get it", the trickster called after him, hurriedly closing his work and logging off his computer, before standing abruptly with the intention of following his lover. Instead, he found himself feeling somewhat nauseous as he stood, his vision becoming spotted as his ears began to ring and he found himself succumbing to an overwhelming feeling of lightheadedness.

Elliott wasn't exactly sure what happened, when his eyes fluttered opened to reveal a very distraught looking Octavio, hovering over him. It was only when he tried to shuffle his weight around, did he realise his back was against the cold, wooden floor.

"Elliott?! Oh my God, are you alright? What happened? Did you slip? Should I call someone? Ajay?", the speedster asked, dropping to his knees next to him, his speech and demeanor showing signs of uncharacteristic panic.

"I...d-don't know. I just got really dizzy. It was...w-weird"

"You might have fainted", Octavio spoke softly, offering his hands to the other and pulling him to his feet, before settling him on the couch. Elliott audibly sighed with contentment as his partner slide a hand into his curls and began running his fingers along his scalp, in the hopes of providing some comfort. It was all incredibly relaxing, until he noticed the speedster staring at him suspiciously.

"What?".

"Ell...have you eaten today?".

Elliott thought back over the day. He knows he didn't have breakfast, since he'd woken up later than intended. Octavio had told him he was meeting Ajay and Natalie for lunch, and it began to dawn on him that he apparently forgot to make himself dinner.

"I...had a banana at some point. Gotta get that...uh...pot-potassium".

Octavio sighed as he got off the couch and began walking towards the kitchen, all signs of his normal light-heartedness gone.

"This isn't funny", he began, as he began to collect bowls, spoons and his cereal of choice and then made his way back to the couch.

"You need to take better care of yourself.''

"Says you", Elliott replied, watching the other carefully, as he poured two bowls of cereal. He didn't really want an argument right now.

The speedster passed him a bowl of chocolate flavored cereal and a spoon.

"Don't we have anything…healthier?".

His partner cocked a pierced eyebrow at him.

"Díos Mio, Elliott, just eat it. You need the sugar or have you somehow not noticed you're physically shaking right now?"

It wasn't like Octavio to be like this, so Elliott felt his best bet was to just shut his mouth and eat. He realised was acting like a bit of an ungrateful asshole right now, despite the other obviously showing concern for his welfare.

He sidled up to the speedster when he was finished eating, timidly resting his head on his lover's shoulder, his curls brushed against his neck causing the younger legend to crack a small smile.

"I'm sorry, amor. I'm just worried about you. You're working too hard, you don't need the stress".

Elliott intertwined their fingers as he spoke, heeding what his lover has just said. He felt guilty for causing Octavio any kind of distress.

"No, I'm sorry. You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm the one being an ass."

What Octavio didn't know was the new business venture was for them. Elliott had hoped it might provide them with some stability to eventually leave the games and settle down, an idea he didn't want to bother the speedster with just yet.

"Do you wanna look at your merch now?", he suggested instead, enjoying the sensation of the speedster's thumb coasting over his own.

"Nah, let's go to bed. I have an idea you might like."

"Not now, baby. I'm just...not in the mood."

"Get your mind out of the gutter, mi amor. Come on."

Elliott allowed himself to be dragged towards their bedroom, wondering what his lover could possibly be up to. Octavio typically only invited him to bed like this for one reason. Now that reason was off the table, the trickster found himself confused when the speedster invited him to lie down on the bed.

"On your stomach. Shirt off", he said casually, disappearing into the bathroom.

"You're not gonna prank me, are you?", Elliott asked, wearily but did as he was told. He watched the bathroom door suspiciously, raising an eyebrow when his lover returned with a bottle of lotion in hand.

"You don't want a massage?", he asked playfully, smirking to himself when he noticed the surprised look on the other's face.

"A massage?", Elliott seemed to perk up at the suggestion. "I...d-didn't know you knew how".

"I watched at least three minutes of a tutorial", Octavio replied, moving towards the bed and situated himself over the other, as he perched himself on Elliott's backside. "How hard can it be?".

Octavio couldn't help but smirk as he ran his fingers along his partner's spine, causing him to shudder. This could be fun, under different circumstances but right now, he just wanted to give his love a much deserved treat. He applied a generous amount of lotion to his hands and began working it into his lover's back, using a sweeping figure of eight motion. He then moved his attention to Elliott's shoulders, feeling around for any areas of concern.

"You're pretty tense, amor".

Elliott simply gave a hum of agreement, which was partly muffled by the pillow he lay on. However, it didn't prevent Octavio from hearing the contented sigh from his boyfriend as he ventured downwards to his lower back. He playfully ran his thumbs along the waistband of Elliott's sweatpants, before dipping a little bit lower.

"Was this move in the tutorial you watched?", Elliott chuckled, turning his head so he could speak more clearly.

"Oh, yeah. They said it was the most important part."

"Is that so?", the trickster quipped back. "I guess all the spas I've ever been to have been slacking then".

The speedster reluctantly retracted his digits and got back to the task at hand, gliding his hands back up his lover's back and began gently kneading any areas that felt particularly tense. He didn't push too hard. The last thing he wanted to do was to hurt him, which was fine by Elliott who was happily enjoying the sensation of just being touched. Octavio wasn't about to start complaining either. He had a nice view right now and he wasn't one to ever turn down the opportunity to see the trickster with as little clothes as possible. Maybe he should start watching those tutorials in their entirety.

When he felt he had done a satisfactory job, Octavio gently pried himself away from his partner, moving to lie down next to him.

"So, do we have a satisfied customer of Tav's spa?", he asked playfully, using one hand to sweep the curls from his love's face as he spoke. It was only then he realised Elliott was contently sleeping, and possibly had been for a while. Feeling this was probably the best answer he could have hoped for, he took a moment to remove his prosthetics before slipping into bed and pulling the covers over them both. He couldn't help but watch Elliott as he slept, brows furrowed, while one hand gripped the edge of his pillow tightly, like he was still worrying about something. Octavio sighed to himself, as he rolled over to try to get some sleep of his own. As far as he was concerned, this business with the bar couldn't be over fast enough.


	7. A Night in King's Canyon

The overnight games were always the worst. It wasn't the sand in his boots or the grease in his hair that was bothering Elliott at this current moment. He was lonely. His squad had decided to hold up in a shack for the night. Wraith had taken herself upstairs, wanting some time alone after she'd snapped at him for continuously inspecting his weapons and switching them from single to auto fire. Pathfinder had powered himself down to conserve energy. He'd been perfectly content with his own company once, using his decoys to play games or as other forms of entertainment. However, since entering into a relationship with Octavio, his holograms didn't quite hit the mark anymore. He pulled his knees into his chest, trying to provide himself with some comfort, but it didn't do much.

He knew he wasn't going to be sleeping much tonight. Despite everyone always coming back after each game, with no real consequences, everything that happened inside the ring felt painfully real. The discomfort that came with sleeping on the floor, the paranoia that someone could easily sneak up and slit his throat while he slept, the hunger that could only be satisfied if you were lucky enough to find a shitty rations pack on your travels. He'd endured this several times, during his time as a legend but this was the worst one yet. Not because his squad was doing poorly, by any means, he just desperately wanted to go home. He knew he could easily be here for at least another 24 hours, with half the squads still standing.

He pulled his hand away from his mouth, only now noticing he'd been anxiously chewing on his nails this entire time. Octavio was probably out there somewhere with his own squad. Elliott wasn't sure how true he wanted that to be. He wanted his boyfriend to do well, but didn't want to ever have to meet him in the ring. This conflicting feeling was exactly why legends were advised against intimacy with each other, when signing their contracts. What or who did outside the games was your own business, but if the organisers felt anything romantic was affecting your performance, you could consider that a game over. Elliott didn't want that. Not only would it be humiliating to be one of the only legends ever to be kicked off the roster, he'd have to leave the compound. Which meant moving out and in turn, leaving Octavio here alone.

Elliott got to his feet, trying to ignore the pins and needles in his legs as he walked towards the door of the building and let himself outside. He doubted his squad would miss him. He knew he was getting on their nerves this round. The cool night air washed over his face and tousled his curls, providing some relief from the tension that hung inside the shack. He took a quick moment to check his surroundings for anyone who may want him dead, before starting to walk, following the course of the river. King's Canyon at night was a strange experience. It was eerily quiet, save for the sound of the occasional flyer or leviathan, in the distance. Yet, it was a nice break from the city at night. You could actually see the stars here. He stopped after walking some distance, stooping down at the edge of the river. He removed his gloves, a small gasp escaped him as he plunged his hands into the icy water. His fingers tingled as he flexed them. The sensation was painfully cold but anything was better than feeling...this. It was hard to comprehend sometimes, that none of his surroundings really mattered, yet the aching in his chest remained very much real.

His shoulders instinctively tensed at the sound of footsteps making their way along the path behind him. He ducked behind a boulder, his heart pumping with adrenaline as he waited for any sign of his possible enemy. Should he shoot? It sounded like just one person but, you never know how close their squad could be. The trickster's heart fluttered, when the footsteps seemed to quicken their pace as they were rapidly approaching his hiding spot, the familiar sound of stim being pumped was like a calming song. Elliott gave a quick look around, before sending out a decoy, hoping the sound of it's footsteps would catch the speedster's attention. Octane immediately skidded to a halt, almost losing balance as his feet slipped about in the mud. He pulled out his R-301 and began scanning the area for the source of the sound, tentatively lowering his weapon as he observed his lover sprinting towards him, before vanishing in front of his eyes. He turned in a full circle, looking around. Elliott peeped his head out from behind the boulder, giving a shy wave when the younger legend eventually looked in his direction. They remained like that for a few moments, just looking at each other before Octavio gestured his head towards a small shack, nearby. He sprinted off in it's direction and Elliott soon followed him. He didn't need to be asked twice.

Octavio was waiting for him when he arrived, mask off and in his arms in an instant, locking their lips together. Elliott's hands grasped desperately at Octavio's back, like a drowning man being offered a route to safety.

"Did you...check...for cameras?", he managed to get out between kisses.

Octavio simply moaned against his mouth in response, sliding his hands into hair. When they finally pulled away for air, the speedster had a cheeky grin on his face, and Elliott couldn't help but smile back.

"Hey"

"Hi there".

"I've missed you", Elliott blurted out, his heart skipping a beat as the grin on the other man's face, moulded into something more sincere, at his words.

"I've missed you, too".

"What are doing out here?", the trickster asked, earnestly.

"I...couldn't sleep", his love responded, shrugging nonchalantly but he had a shy smile on his face.

"Me neither".

"Did you eat?", Octavio asked, as the two men moved to sit on the floor. Elliott rested his back against the wall, allowing the speedster to settle between his legs, and lean back into him. It was somewhat uncomfortable, their gear occasionally digging into each other but that was the least of their concerns, as their bodies came together.

"Yeah. We're lucky that Path doesn't eat", Elliott responded, with a small chuckle. "Have you?"

"Yeah we're fine. Rations packs are always a priority for us. You know what Ajay's like, when she gets hangry".

Elliott hummed in response, circling his arms around the smaller man's waist. He felt him jump as his hands came to rest on the exposed skin of the runner's stomach.

"Díos mio, Elliott! Your hands are freezing!", Octavio exclaimed, scrambling to sandwich his lover's hands between his own, sharing his heat with the trickster's, now aching, fingers.

"Oh. Yeah. I'm...sorry, baby. I just...missed being able to sit with you".

"It's only a couple more hours and then we'll be out of here", the speedster soothed, intertwining their fingers.

Elliott buried his face in the crook of his boyfriend's neck, a weary sigh tickling the runner's skin as he did so.

"How do you always...stay so positive? This sucks!", he mumbled, causing a small laugh to emit from his partner. "I'm so tempted to throw in the towel but I don't think Wraith would ever forgive me."

"Don't say that! Everyone would know if you threw the game on purpose", Octavio spoke, leaning further back into him. "Sure, it sucks now, amor but, just think. This time tomorrow we'll be home and...Preferably in bed. I have some frustrations I need to work through".

"Is that so?", the trickster replied, coyly, suddenly more interested in the conversation. "Who am I sending my decoys to beat up?".

They spent the next few hours swapping stories about how their game was going, speculating about who the next kill leader may be, and gossiping about their colleagues performances. Octavio had been on a colourful rant about a group of fledglings, who had followed him just to destroy all his jump pads.

"They couldn't keep up to me of course! I didn't even notice they were trying to take me out, until Gibraltar spotted them. Emphasis on trying. Better luck next time, amigos".

"You're funny", Elliott spoke, fondly, idling running his fingers through his lover's hair as he spoke.

There was something about Octavio that always managed to fill him with this unexplainably warmth. Something that was both exciting, yet comforting, familiar but still compelling. It was a feeling he was more than happy to be dependent on, despite the idea of ever losing this feeling being utterly terrifying, to him.

The light that began to seep through the window, indicated that early morning was beginning to take over King's Canyon. It signified their time together was coming to an end, the gunshots in the distance solidifying it. Elliott's hand clutched Octavio's hip protectively, as the younger legend sat forward, listening intently. His legs began to twitch with anticipation.

"Sounds like quite the fight! I guess...that's my cue to get a move on".

As much as he hated to admit it, Elliott knew his lover was right. They'd been away from their squads for far too long, and his mind was already racing with the possible questions he may get from his team. If they missed him at all. He accepted the hand that was graciously offered to him, pulling him to his feet.

"Don't do anything stupid", he said, pulling his lover into a tight hug, the muffled sound of the speedster laughing into his chest, quickly followed the remark.

"You ask so much of me. I'm gonna miss you".

"I'm gonna miss you, too", Elliott sighed. "God, I can't wait for this thing to be over. I don't know how I'm gonna get through today".

"You will. I have faith in you, mi amor", Octavio spoke sweetly, cupping his partner's cheek with one hand. "Actually, I think I have an idea!".

Elliott couldn't help but be curious, as he watched the speedster undo the clasp that secured the tiny camera to his chest, before holding it up triumphantly.

"Let's take a picture!"

"Really?", Elliott chuckled. "You wanna take a selfie? Now?"

"No time like the present, right?"

Elliott couldn't stop himself from laughing, as he was pulled into the frame. If anyone could see them right now, they'd think both of them had officially lost it. Nothing says "we're competing in a bloodsport", like posing for a photo, while surrounded by the sounds of gunfire in the distance. Octavio grinned proudly at the camera, as he looked at the picture before passing it to his partner to see.

"Pretty cute, huh?"

"Oh God, is that what I look right now?!", Elliott gasped, squinting at the small screen.

"You look hot", Octavio assured him, pushing the camera back into the trickster's grip, when he tried to hand it back. "You keep it. If today ever feels like it's getting too much, look at that picture and remember I'm gonna take such good care of you when we get home".

"But...what about your videos of the game?"

Octavio shrugged.

"What about them?".

"You're gonna disappoint your fans."

"I'm sure they'll understand."

Elliott titled the younger legend's chin upwards, so he could place a sweet kiss on his lips. It baffled him sometimes, how Octavio could say something so simple, but make it feel like so much more. The trickster clutched the camera tightly, as he watched his lover pull his mask back on and make his way towards the door of the shack. His hand rested against the cool, metal momentarily before turning around to face his partner again.

"I would say I hope to see you out there but…".

"I know. M-me too".

"I love you".

"I love you, too".

Elliott watched him leave, staying at the window of the shack until the speedster was nothing but a green blur on the horizon. He toyed with the weight of the camera in his palm, looking at the picture they'd taken once more, before slipping the device into his pocket. It was just one more day. He could do this.


	8. Reported

Elliott had never faked an orgasm before. Not once, in his entire life. Maybe that's why he felt so awful when he turned to look at his partner, who was lying on the other side of the bed with his back to him. He knew. It was a stupid idea, on his part. How he ever expected Octavio not to notice was beyond him. A feeling of unbearable guilt settled in his stomach, as he sat up in the bed. Or maybe it was nausea. Yep. Definitely nausea. Octavio stirred from his spot, peeking his head out to watch his partner shuffle from under the blankets and make a beeline for the bathroom. He didn't think anything of it at first, until he heard the sound of his lover emptying his guts on the other side of the wall.

"Elliott?", he called out, rubbing the sleep from him eyes.

The room remained eerily silent for some time, until he heard the sound of the bathroom door opening and clicking shut again. Octavio switched on his bedside lamp, to see the shadowy silhouette of his boyfriend slipping his robe on before making his way to the bedroom door.

"Ell? Are you alright?".

"I'm fine. Go back to bed."

"Where are you going?"

"To get some air."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No".

Elliott wandered into the living room, not bothering to turn the light on. The room was shrouded in darkness, yet it provided a strange sense of comfort to the trickster as he flopped down on the couch and wrapped a fluffy blanket over his shoulders. He couldn't remember another time in his life when he felt this bad. It was almost comparable to when he heard the news about his brothers, but at least then, he had a reason to be sad. He wanted to blame Octavio for this situation he'd found himself in, despite him knowing with every fiber in his being it wasn't his partner's fault. But that didn't stop that one nagging thought in the back of mind that felt maybe it was. He was still angry. Elliott had been fine, going through the motions every day. He'd become accustomed to feeling a certain level of despair and using humour as a crutch to get by. He was content to live that way. That was of course, until Octavio moved in and keeping the mask of Mirage on became increasingly more difficult. He often felt like he'd mislead his partner in a way. The speedster probably like the Mirage act and the humour. That's what Octavio wanted, right? Someone outgoing, someone fun. Not a grown man who cried himself to sleep on the couch and couldn't hold his own in the bedroom.

Elliott didn't sleep very well that night, spending most of it staring at the living room ceiling. He hadn't even realised how many hours had passed, until the early morning light peaked through the curtains, invading his safe space. It was only then, he peeked his head out from under the blankets and noticed his boyfriend perched on the arm of the couch opposite him, watching him. He was so out of it, he hadn't even heard the younger man approaching.

"Why didn't you come back to bed last night?", Octavio asked, causing the trickster to bristle.

"I...wasn't feeling well. You know that", he responded, pulling the blanket tighter around himself, as if trying to create some sort of protective barrier.

The speedster shuffled about in his seat, his form exuding nervous energy.

"Are you...gonna tell me what last night was about? I wanna talk about it".

"I don't", Elliott grumbled, retreating further into his nest, until the blankets were forcibly ripped away, leaving him exposed and vulnerable to his boyfriend's questions.

"Why won't you talk to me?!", Octavio pleaded, voice cracking slightly. "What did I do, Elliott? I thought we were able to say when something was wrong. If I did something last night that you weren't okay with, I...I wanna know. I didn't mean-."

"Not everything is about sex, Tav!", Elliott retaliated, getting to his feet and storming past his boyfriend into the kitchen.

"Then what is it?!", the speedster yelled after him. "What is your problem?!".

Octavio half expected Elliott to just walk away, like he always did when they argued. Instead the trickster whirled on him, brown eyes tainted with something that ran so much deeper than just anger.

"You! You are my problem!".

Those words hit Octavio like a freight train, suddenly realising where this conversation might be going.

"You didn't think I'd find out, did you?", Elliott laughed bitterly, as he began to search through the kitchen drawers before pulling out a piece of paper.

"I...don't know what you're talking about".

Octavio didn't know why he felt the need to keep the ruse going. Maybe part of him thought if he just kept denying it, Elliott might believe him, the chances of which became slimmer by the second as the trickster unfolded the piece of paper and began to read;

_"Dear Mr Witt. It has come to our attention that you may no longer meet the standards expected of an Apex Games competitor. As you are aware, per your contract, competitors are required to be at peak physical and mental health, evaluated on a case by case basis. We have reason to believe you may not match your original assessments. We take legends posing as a possible risk to themselves or others, outside of the arena, extremely seriously. We invite you to attend a physical and psychiatric assessment. Failure to attend this screening, may result in termination of your contract". _

"You reported me", he continued, the anger in his tone now replaced by hurt and betrayal. Octavio took a few tentative steps forward, before Elliott's posture shifted into something that warned him to not come any closer.

"Elliott...You...You don't understand. What choice did I have?"

"You had plenty of choices! Not going behind your boyfriend's b-back would've been a good one", the trickster tossed the letter back to its original spot, with some force. "Do you have no res-respect for my p-privacy, at all?"

"Of course, I do, amor! But do you think I like watching you suffer?!"

"I'm suffering worse now! I went! I went to their st-stupid assessment!", Elliott spoke, his voice raising just slightly. "It's n-not like I was left with a choice."

"But that's good!", Octavio persisted, trying to soothe the situation but to little avail, as he watched his significant other pull a packet of pills out of seemingly nowhere, and tossed them in his direction. He ran his fingers over the label, wracking his brain for where he'd heard the name before. Between his parents' pharmaceutical company and Ajay, he'd gained quite the bank of knowledge on common medications.

"Elliott that's just an...antidepressant. Right?"

It was starting to make sense now. The melancholy, the snarky behaviour, what had happened in the bedroom. Octavio felt a pit of guilt settle in his stomach. Why didn't he notice this sooner?

"Just an antidepressant?!", the trickster reiterated. "They're...making everything worse! I feel like, s-shit, Tav. How...How could you th-think this is any better than before?"

"Elliott, please. I was trying to do what I thought was best for you!"

"You went behind my back! You knew I didn't want anyone to know about any of this shit and you went and reported me anyway! Do you know what this could do to my career?! You weren't th-thinking of me at all!"

Elliott made his way back into the living room after that and the room fell painfully silent. Octavio's hands toyed awkwardly with the hem of his bedshirt. He didn't want to show how badly this situation was hurting him. It broke his heart to hear the man he loved accuse him of trying to purposely hurt him. The pair sat on the couch in silence for some time, but Octavio couldn't help himself from pushing the matter further.

"I'm...scared, Ell. I just...felt like I was backed into a corner. I'm sorry but...you've been saying things and I...got scared. I don't want to lose you. Ever. And maybe that's selfish of me but-".

"Is that...r-really what you think?", Elliott responded, the break in his voice felt like a punch in the gut for Octavio. "You really think I'd do that? To you? To my...to my m-mom?".

"I don't know", the speedster replied, not able to force his voice to be anything but a whisper. Despite the conversation they were having, it still managed to take him by surprise when Elliott buried his face in his knees, his body trembling as he tried to choke words out through a sudden bout of sobs.

"I'm s-sorry", he cried, shoulders heaving for air. "I'm s-sorry for being a like th-this. I'm sorry for b-being a sh-shit boyfriend. I...I d-don't th-think I can do this anym-more."

"Do what?", the speedster asked cautiously, a heavy feeling settling on his shoulders as he watched his boyfriend flail a hand between them.

"Th-this. Us."

The words made his blood run cold.

"No! Why are you saying that!"

"Look at me, Tav! Do I look like someone whose able to be the boyfriend you deserve? It's n-not f-fair. Not on you. Find someone b-better. Someone who can look after y-you and not drag you down all the t-time."

Octavio shook his head, unable to speak, as he took his lover's face in his hands, thumbing away his tears, ignoring the ones that were now streaming down his own face. It took a few moments for him to work up the confidence to ask the question that had been on his mind since this conversation started.

"Do you still love me?"

Elliott nodded dumbly and sucked in a deep breath, before continuing to speak.

"S-so much. That's why you'd be b-better off-".

"No", Octavio said, continuing to wipe away his partner's tears. "I won't be. I love you."

Elliott tried to hang his head, but the speedster held him up, forcing him to look into his eyes.

"How? H-how can you? W-when I'm like this?"

"Because", he began, adjusting their position so he could pull the trickster into his arms. "When I look at you, I still see the man I fell in love with. He's just going through a rough patch."

"I don't deserve you", Elliott mumbled into his chest. He grasped at his lover's shirt pathetically, as gentle circles were rubbed into his back.

"I'm sorry for being mad at you, baby."

"And I'm sorry for not trusting your own judgement, cariño."

The pair fell silent as they sat absorbing each other's warmth, save for the occasional sniffle or hiccup from Elliott.

"They make it seem so easy on the TV", he said quietly. "You just...take a couple of pills and all your problems go away. Noone ever mentions how they make you sick or anxious or kill all your boners."

Octavio laughed softly into his curls.

"They shouldn't be, amor. You should talk to the doctor again. They can maybe change them or adjust the dose or something."

"I forgot I was talking to the pharmacists' son", Elliott quipped, weakly. He was quiet for a few moments, before speaking up again. "Would you...come with me? If I did...wanna give these a p-proper go and change them? I don't wanna be a burden and I...don't know if they'd let you in but…".

Octavio gave his arm a gentle squeeze.

"You're not a burden. You're strong and could do this alone if you wanted. But if you want me there then of course, I go."

"What if...they don't work?"

"Then we try something else. I'm with you, amor. Every baby step of the way."

Elliott emitted a low laugh into his boyfriend's chest.

"When have you ever taken baby steps for anything?"

The speedster ran his fingers up and down his love's arm, tickling him.

"I don't usually but, I'll try. For you."

There was still a lot they still needed to talk about, and Octavio knew this. But for now, just hearing his partner laugh again was a start. They had a long journey ahead of them but for now, that was enough.


	9. A Surprise Trip

Octavio clasped his lover's hand tightly as he was led to who knows where. Elliott had told him he had a surprise for him and refused to give any more information than that. He couldn't help but be excited. The trickster had rented a car for the occasion and they'd driven to the outskirts of the city. That was a surprise in itself. It was well known throughout the compound that Elliott hated driving, especially in the city, and was more than happy to take advantage of the chauffeur services offered to legends to get them to and from events or meetings. On this occasion, he'd insisted on driving, stating he just wanted them to be alone today. How could Octavio argue with that? The previous few weeks had been extremely trying for them as a couple, as Elliott adjusted to his new medication. It wasn't easy, and the trickster wasn't particularly happy to be, in his words, "stuck sitting on the bench", when in reality he was simply placed on medical leave from the games. However, things had begun to settle down for them and Elliott was now looking forward to getting back to work, opting to use his last weekend off to plan a day out for the two of them.

"Can you tell me where we're going now?", Octavio asked, being forced to a stop for perhaps the tenth time, to allow his lover to readjust the blindfold that was continuously slipping off his face. They were walking somewhere, but he couldn't even begin to fathom where. Elliott tightened the scarf he was using to obscure the speedster's vision again, before taking his hand in his own and placing the other on the small of the younger legend's back, leading him again.

"Have a little patience, babe. We're almost there."

They walked another short distance, until Octavio felt a pair of firm hands on his shoulders, guiding him to a halt.

"Okay, are you ready?", the trickster asked, hands sliding up from his love's shoulders to begin undoing the blindfold.

Octavio's legs began to twitch with anticipation, as the soft fabric fell away from his face. His eyes took an aggravatingly long time to adjust to the early evening sun, mouth falling open to let out a small, but excited gasp when he realised where they were.

"Paintballing?!"

"Yeah", Elliott chuckled softly, returning his scarf to its rightful place, around his neck. "What'd'ya think? You up for it?"

"I think I should be asking _you_ that question, amor. You're going down."

"Oh, am I now? Are those the terms we're setting on?", the trickster mused, as the pair made their way towards the kiosk. "Loser goes down?"

Octavio couldn't help but grin back at him.

"Alright, Witt. You're on."

Octavio surveyed the mini "area" in front of him. The ground was covered in sand, with various half walls and hay bales scattered around to be used as cover. He jumped about on the spot, impatiently turning back to face his partner who was only half dressed in the protective clothing they'd been given, his full focus on his phone.

"Elliott", the speedster sighed. "Mira, if that's something work related I won't need these paintballs to kick that perfect ass."

The holo-technician looked up, smiling shyly at him, shoving the device into his pocket before continuing to pull the protective garments over his own clothes.

"It's just mom", he said, pulling his bag of paintballs onto his shoulder. "She, um...just wants to know how t-things are going."

"Things?", Octavio questioned, holding the gate to the playzone open as the pair made their way into the mock arena.

"Y'know with the...meds and stuff".

"Oh. I...didn't know you told her."

Octavio was genuinely surprised that Elliott had chosen to open up about his mental struggles to his mother. He knew they were close but he also knew Elliott never shared any details that may worry the woman too much.

"I, uh, called her a few days ago", he began, rubbing the back of his neck. "Figured she ought to know her only son was on the verge of becoming a full time resident of the cuckoo's nest. I owe her that much, at least."

The awkward laugh that followed bothered Octavio to no end.

"Elliott…"

"Hey. It's...fine, okay?", the trickster assured, though neither of them knew if it was for Octavio's sake or his own. "Now. You wanna get covered in paint or not?"

This type of activity was right up Octavio's street. Being outside, on a nice summer evening where one of the main objectives was running was perfect for him. Much better than a fancy restaurant or stuffy movie theater. It was a nice change of pace from the typical games they were part of. Although, it didn't stop Elliott from getting up to his trickster ways. On more than one occasion he managed to sneak up on speedster without him even noticing and splatter him with paint, only to disappear again a few moments later, expertly using the various covers to his advantage. However, as the game began to drag on, he became more careless with his hiding spots and often gave himself away by snickering whenever Octavio walked past him. He'd originally planned this outing solely with Octavio's interests in mind, but it was turning out to be a lot more fun than he'd originally thought it would be.

They spent the next hour or so trying to outwit each other and splatter each other in paint. Octavio couldn't help but take the game a little seriously, especially now there was a tempting prize on the line. He'd been doing well so far, despite Elliott's attempts to play mind games. The trickster had landed some pretty decent shots on him but ultimately, the game was in Octavio's hands. Elliott may have been stronger, but Octavio was faster and it easily tilted the odds in his favour. Especially now, as the game was beginning to come to an end and he hounded his lover like he was prey, wanting to get a couple more shots on him to solidify his win. Elliott almost made it too easy, as he slipped about on the sand as he ran, eventually losing his footing as he rounded a corner, collapsing in a heap on the ground.

"Okay...I surrender. You win", he panted, rolling over onto his back, as he lover came to hover over him, a triumphant smile on his face.

"You surrender?", he mocked, playfully. "What's the thing you always say? Quitting is for losers and since you've already lost…".

"I'm also out of balls", Elliott chuckled, reaching a hand out towards his partner. "Be a gent and help your beloved boyfriend up, would you?"

Octavio grinned at him as he took his hand and began hauling him up, his smile quickly turning to a look of shock, as a paintball was smashed over his head. He could just about make out his lover dashing away and cackling with delight, as blue paint trickled from his hair down to his cheeks.

"Elliott!" he yelled after him, but he couldn't help but laugh as he watched his boyfriend stop to do a little victory dance, as he began to gloat.

"Guess who doesn't even need holo-gear to trick, ya? That's right. Me. Master of decep-decept...Fooling people! The crowd loves him. No one's safe. Not even- ahhhh."

It was Octavio's turn to cackle now, as he watched the trickster pull his protective goggles off and toss them to the side. They were now covered in bright yellow paint, along with most of his face.

"And Anita's been telling me my aim is off", he sneered.

"You little...You're in for it now!"

The speedster couldn't have ran away if he tried. His sides ached from laughing so hard, allowing Elliott to quickly catch up to him and playfully push him into a pile of hay.

"Has anyone ever told you yellow's a great colour on you?", he giggled, as the trickster lay down next to him. He smiled softly at his lover, wiping some of the blue paint from the younger legend's cheeks, with his thumb.

"Blue doesn't look half bad on you either."

"I've always been more a green fan", Octavio grinned. "It's a shame they didn't give us any."

"I guess we'll just have to make our own", Elliott replied, moving his thumb downwards and running it teasingly over his partner's lips before, leaning down and kissing him deeply. Octavio sighed happily into the touch, running his hands down his lover's back, the gesture causing the trickster to pull away with a shy smile, reminding him that they were still in public.

After toweling off as much paint as possible, which turned out to be a lot more difficult than they originally thought, the pair walked back to their car, hand in hand. It was now early evening and the carpark was close to empty, with any remaining patrons packing up to go home, leaving the space deserted. Elliott felt a pleasant sense of tranquility, as they walked. If the last few weeks had taught him anything it was to treasure moments like this, and to ultimately take better care of his partner. Octavio could have easily dumped his sorry ass a long time ago but he didn't. He felt incredibly lucky that Octavio chose to spend his days by his side despite everything, and how the biggest worry on the speedster's mind right now, was what they were going to eat.

"Someone's worked up an appetite", Elliott teased his boyfriend, who was now clutching his stomach after it had let out a particularly loud rumble. He couldn't stop himself from laughing at his partner who nodded vigorously, as his stomach continued to gurgle.

"Good thing I bought snacks".

"Why, do I feel like I'm in highschool again?", Elliott mused, as he climbed into the back seat, raising an eyebrow at his boyfriend who was already making quick work of the snacks.

"Did you spend a lot of time in the backseats of cars, during highschool?", Octavio chuckled, as his lover settled down next to him.

"I did actually. But it was more because I was never cool enough to ride shotgun."

"I think you're cool enough", Octavio began, running a tantalising finger down the other man's chest. "You can ride my shotgun any day of the week."

"Jeez, and people say my jokes are bad", Elliott elbowed him playfully, before digging through the snacks, settling on a bag of popcorn, for himself.

"Can't blame a guy for trying", the speedster smirked, as he laid back into the seat. "The back seat of a car in an empty parking lot seems like the perfect opportunity to have a little...fun."

The trickster continued to munch on his popcorn, running one hand thoughtfully over his bearded chin, as if considering his partner's words.

"Alright", he grinned, moving to sit cross legged on the seat, allowing him to face the other. "Truth or dare."

Octavio peered over at his boyfriend, expecting him to be joking but he looked deadly serious.

"You're really trying to live out this highschool fantasy, aren't you?", he quipped, but decided to humour him. "But I get to go first. Truth or dare?"

"Truth".

"Of course you'd have to pick the boring one", Octavio smirked, adjusting his position so he could face his partner, also. "Hmmm...Okay. How did you lose your virginity?"

Elliott furrowed his brows as he considered the question, looking at his lover with a confused look on his face.

"What do you mean, how did I lose it? You were there."

The space between them fell silent, as an insatiable heat flooded to the speedster's cheeks.

"W-what?"

It was only when the trickster's ruse was broken by quiet laughter, did Octavio realise what was happening, causing him to blush even harder.

"Aw, sweetie. The look on your face was so priceless".

"Vete a la mierda. I hate you", Octavio pouted, punching his partner lightly on the arm, as he continued to laugh at him.

"Okay, okay. If you must know, it was with this girl I was kind of dating."

"What was her name?"

"Kelly. I think she ended up getting married to some guy from Tristen. A lot of people came here when everything started going to shit there. I'm pretty sure she has kids and everything now."

"And how was it?"

Elliott smirked at the younger legend.

"Are you asking if she was better than you?"

"No. I already know the answer to that", Octavio grinned back at him, causing his partner to laugh.

"It was...fine. Nothing amazing but it wasn't bad either. She was a nice girl."

"How old were you?"

"Twenty one."

"Interesting."

"How did you lose yours?" Elliott asked, only to receive an innocent smile in return.

"I don't remember picking truth. I pick dare."

"Alright", Elliott sighed, looking around the vehicle for inspiration, his gaze landing on the pack of spicy tortilla chips and strawberry lace candies, Octavio had already half eaten. He pulled out one of each, before passing them to his lover.

"I dare you to eat both of these at the same time."

Octavio chuckled at the request.

"Calm down, Elliott. We don't wanna get arrested for doing anything too crazy."

His partner looked at him expectantly, as he shoved both items into his mouth and began to chew.

"It doesn't even taste that bad. Kinda good actually."

"You wanna see something cool?", Elliott asked, plucking one of the strawberry laces from the pack. Octavio watched with great interest as the trickster placed half of the candy in his mouth, only to pull it back out a few seconds later, proudly displaying the knot he had tied.

"Impressive. Has anyone ever told you, you have quite the talented tongue?"

The trickster smiled coyly back at him.

"Maybe."

"Okay my turn!", the speedster announced, taking a mouthful of soda before continuing. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare".

"Oh, he wants to live on the wild side now. I like that", Octavio spoke, a teasing tone to his voice. "I dare you to kiss me."

Elliott feigned offense at the request, putting on a mock deep voice.

"I don't know, man. That seems kinda gay. I don't want my football coach to find out."

"I won't tell anybody", Octavio hummed, placing a hand on each of the trickster's shoulders.

He spread his legs as best as he possibly could, in the confined space, encouraging his partner to follow him, as he lay back on the seat. Elliott felt deliciously warm as he situated himself on top of him, propping himself on one elbow to support his weight, while using his free hand to cup the younger legend's cheek, as he leaned downwards. Octavio could only describe the sensation as electricity coursing through his veins, as their lips met, the sparks nipping and biting at him in the most pleasant way possible. He couldn't compare it anything else. Not even the adrenaline he got from his stunts, gave him a better high than being with Elliott. He sighed contently when the trickster pulled away, their eyes meeting as he brushed the stray curls out of his boyfriend's face.

"Dios mío, I'm so hopelessly in love with you, Elliott."

It still sometimes baffled him as to why, anyone could love him as much as the speedster claimed to. Yet, his words made Elliott feel safe, perhaps even a little emotional, as smiled warmly at the love of his life.

"Hey, being the hopeless romantic is my thing. Stop coming for my brand."

He ran a gentle thump across his partner's slightly swollen lips before continuing.

"But, I love you more than I can even begin to understand. I'd do anything for you."

Octavio heeded the trickster's words, a coy smile making its way onto his face.

"It's funny you should say that, amor. I was kind of hoping I could have my prize for winning the paintball now."

Elliott's eyes seemed to sparkle with a wicked essence, as he listened to the request, dipping his face lower to place a series of searing kisses to his lover's neck. He winked at his partner as he began to tug away his shorts. Octavio may have beaten him in paintball but, there were some activities that Elliott Witt could not be bested at. This was one of them.


	10. Mr and Mrs Silva

"And then the flyer swooped down and landed in front of me and it started like...it was almost like it was trying to talk to me. And then it just straight up let me pet it. It was really weird."

Octavio laughed into his partner's chest.

"You have the most loco dreams."

Elliott placed a kiss to the side of his head, before adjusting their cuddling position so he could stretch his hands over his head, cracking his shoulders in the process.

"So, what do you wanna do today, sweetheart?"

The speedster ran his hands over his partner's stomach.

"Staying here sounds like a good idea to me."

Elliott chuckled warmly, pulling him into a hug.

"I thought maybe I could take your out for lunch? I've got that team meeting thing to go to but maybe we could go out after? It feels like forever since we've done something together."

"We live together, amor", Octavio laughed. "We only ever do things together."

"Well...y-yeah but...You know what I mean."

"Do you think I've gained weight?"

Elliott looked away from his own reflection in the bathroom mirror, to his significant other, who was standing in a towel next to him.

"Is that a serious question?"

"Yeah", Octavio replied, poking his flat stomach with one finger. "Mira. You're feeding me too much."

The trickster couldn't help but roll his eyes at the conversation they were having, as he towelled off his face. In his eyes, his boyfriend didn't have one single thing to be insecure about.

"I'm only feeding you good food", he responded, reaching over to playfully swat his partner's butt. "And if that ass is anything to go by, it's doing wonders."

"Alright, I gotta run to this meeting", Elliott spoke, adjusting his jacket and hair one final time. "I'll text you when it's over and then I'll come pick you up and we can head out, okay?"

The runner swiveled his stool at the breakfast bar around, to receive the kiss that was planted on his lips. He watched his partner leave the apartment before hopping down from his seat to begin clearing away the dishes from breakfast. If someone would have told him when he first joined the games that he was going to meet the person he now intended to spend his life with and would be cleaning up his dirty dishes while listening to the cheesy pop music he always liked to play when he cooked breakfast, he would have laughed right in their face. But here he was, enjoying a semi-domestic life. This morning had been so perfectly mundane. Until there was a knock at the door.

"Did you forget your keys again?", he asked, opening the door with a cheeky smile. His face fell when he realised it wasn't his boyfriend standing there but someone else.

"Buenos tardes, Octavio."

His mouth went dry.

"Uh...Hola, mamà...papà."

A finely dressed couple, stared back at him. His father brushed his fingers against his dark moustache.

"Might we come in, mijo?"

"I would hope so. It took us a ridiculously long time to find you in this place. You know they left us waiting outside a vacant apartment, until one of the cleaners told us you didn't occupy it anymore."

His mother brushed her light brown, perfectly primed curls out of her face.

"Yeah, I, um...I moved".

Octavio moved aside to allow the pair into his home. He momentarily felt uneasy as his mother's heels clicked against the wooden flooring. She looked different from the last time he saw her. Thinner maybe, with more lines around her eyes.

"So, this is where you've been hiding", she said, eyeing the room for an appropriate place to sit down, opting for their lesser used couch.

"I haven't been hiding. You know where I've been", the speedster mumbled, sitting on the other couch, while his father joined his mother, leaving them sitting across from him. They didn't even have to say anything and he already felt ganged up on.

"I can't imagine you designed the place yourself", his mother continued.

He didn't like the way her brown eyes scanned around the room, with a slight squint, like she was disapproving of everything she saw.

"Why not?"

"It doesn't seem like your...style."

He bristled at the comment, despite knowing she was right. It wasn't necessarily his style. It was Elliott's decision to accent the room with red, orange and yellow soft furnishings. It was like that before he'd ever moved in. Octavio didn't mind. Interior design wasn't something he particularly cared about. His old apartment was like a barren wasteland in comparison.

"Why are you here?", he couldn't resist the urge to ask any longer.

He highly doubted his parents came all this way for just a friendly visit. Especially since they weren't exactly on friendly terms.

His father glanced at his wife, who gave a curt nod. He adjusted his coat, leaning forward just slightly in his seat.

"We wanted to speak with you, mijo."

* * *

"Look, all I'm saying is, it's stupid that your portals won't let my decoys through", Elliott said, leaning back in his chair.

Wraith rested her chin on one hand as she peered at him from across the cafeteria table.

"That's your problem. Fix them so they can rift."

"Fix your portals."

"You think I control the void? Maybe if you fixed your decoys they'd be more useful. Why did you ever think having them just stand there while you cloak was a good idea?"

Elliott feigned offense at the remark.

"Uh, because the enemies get distracted by how good they look. Duh."

"I still think they could be improved. Make them run or something. It would cause an actual distraction that way, and I can portal us out" she replied, taking a sip of her tea.

"Make them run?", the trickster laughed. "What do you want me to do, huh? Jump off a cliff when I cloak, so they'll run? Don't be ridic-riduc-uh-...Don't be stupid."

"Please, don't fight, friends" Pathfinder chimed in. "I like winning. Let's find a way to keep doing that."

"Sorry, Path. You're right" the rifter, sighed, absentmindedly stirring her tea, her attention being drawn back to her other teammate, when his phone beeped.

_**Tav:**_ _hey. i'm not gonna be able to make lunch today. somethings come up. take wraith out instead. knowing her she needs a reason to chill out. _

Elliott quickly typed out his response, pushing his phone to side when he was done, so he'd stop getting side-eye from his squadmate.

_**Elliott:**_ _What's come up? Are you alright? Want me to come home?_

He periodically checked his phone, as his team continued to talk about possible tactics they could use in future games. He started to get worried when he didn't get a response, heedlessly biting his nails.

"I think we should use more ziplines" Pathfinder suggested, in his typical chipper fashion. "Those are always fun."

"Yeah, that sounds great buddy" Elliott said, hastily snatching his phone from the table, as he got up to leave. "I'm gonna call it a day, guys. I gotta get home."

"But we haven't even decided what our plan is going to be!", Wraith complained, her icy eyes following him as he headed towards the exit, calling back to her;

"More decoys, more ziplines, less portals. Sounds great. Bye!"

* * *

"You're being unreasonable, as usual!", Mrs Silva scolded, as she sorted through a stack of papers, that had been tossed to the floor mere moments ago. Her son glared back at her, arms folded, as he watched her sort the papers he'd thrown into a neat pile.

"I'm being unreasonable?! You're the one that-"

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of keys being rattled, drawing all three of their attentions to the apartment's entrance. Octavio buried his face in his hands. No. Not like this.

"What was that text about?" Elliott asked, eyes focused on his phone screen as he walked in. "How come you didn't reply? Is everything-."

He startled when he looked up to see two strangers sitting in his living room, with his boyfriend watching the scene unfold through fanned fingers. He took a few tentative steps forward, assuming the worst. Were they in trouble with the overheads?

"Uh...Hello?"

"Hello."

It was almost creepy how the three Silvas answered in unison. It was even more unsettling how the room turned quiet afterwards, a heavy feeling hanging over it. The atmosphere reminded him of all the times he'd spent in detention at school, where people had often been scolded for breathing too loudly.

The woman spoke first.

"Are you going to introduce us to your friend, Octavio?"

His head was swimming. He felt dizzy. This isn't how he planned for Elliott to meet his parents. In all honesty, he hadn't planned for Elliott to meet his parents at all. It was Octavio's turn to feel uncomfortable now, as his parents looked at him expectantly, while his boyfriend rocked on the balls of his feet, a nervous behaviour he typically saved for before a big game.

"Erm...Alright" the speedster began, placing a hand on his thigh in an attempt to stop the uncontrollable jittering of his leg.

"This is my...my father Bertrán and my mother, Valeria. Mamá, Papá, this...is my partner, Elliott. Mi novio."

The room fell painfully silent again, as his parents shared a glance, while Elliott raised an eyebrow at his partner, wondering why he wasn't warned about this, receiving a somewhat panicked shrug in response.

"I don't believe he's ever mentioned you", Valeria said, keeping her gaze trained on her son, who stared right back at her, the offhand comment catching her husband off guard.

"That's alright. We've met him now" he said, standing to offer a hand to the trickster, prompting him to straighten his posture and plaster on that winning smile, that had been seen on millions of screens across the galaxy. It was all muscle memory to him now.

"Bertrán Silva."

Elliott took his hand, shaking it firmly.

"Hi, I'm Mir-...Err, Elliott. I'm Elliott. Elliott Witt."

"I must say, that is a business handshake if I've felt one."

"Elliott has his own business!" Octavio piped up, watching the two men cautiously, from his spot on the couch.

"Really? It's always interesting to meet another entrepreneur."

Elliott laughed awkwardly.

"I wouldn't go th-that far. I just own a-".

"Elliott works in hospitality!" Octavio blurted out, receiving a pointed look from his boyfriend.

"A hotelier, are you?"

"No, I...own a bar."

"This planet certainly seems to enjoy them. It has so many" Valeria added. "It must have been so interesting here, during the war. Although, only a fool would believe the Militia was founded by anything other than a bunch of drunkards."

"You Psamathians didn't seem to mind too much when you were profiting off of it!" Elliott retaliated, being met with a cocked eyebrow from the woman.

"Of course we did. Not everyone wanted to be known for fraternizing with a group of savages, fighting in the streets."

"Those _savages_ had families."

"Mamá!" Octavio interjected. "Basta! Por favor."

The Silvas exchanged a series of words in Spanish, before turning their attention back to the hopelessly lost individual, hovering nearby.

"Elliott, it has been...lovely to meet you but my wife and I have travelled a long way to speak to our son. In private, if you don't mind" Bertrán said, still managing to remain calm, despite everything.

"Our ship home leave in a few hours,'' his wife added.

Elliott looked to his boyfriend for permission, who gave him a reassuring nod.

"It's okay, amor. I'll call you later."

After exchanging some awkward goodbyes, with the trickster, the family was left alone again.

"Now, where were we?" his mother began, shuffling through her papers again.

"I'm not signing those!" Octavio said firmly, shaking his head. "No way."

"You will."

"I won't."

"Why must you make everything so difficult for us?" Valeria asked, though the question was rhetorical. "We offered you a comfortable life. You rejected the offer. You have no interest in our company, which we built for you by the way. So, sign over your share with us and we'll find someone who will appreciate it."

"You can't do this!"

"I can. I just should have done it before your turned eighteen."

"No! I'll...I'll get a lawyer!"

"You won't find any better than ours. Not without money. And we're cutting you off."

"Since when?!", Bertrán asked. "We haven't discussed this!"

He watched as his wife slid the stack of papers across the coffee table, parking them in front of his son.

"We're discussing it now."

"I don't c-care. Keep your money. I haven't touched that account in over two years. I can take care of myself!"

His mother smiled at him but there was no warmth to it.

"Fabulous. Then you have no reason to hold onto your share of the company."

Something was beginning to simmer in the pit of his stomach. Something that stemmed so much deeper than just anger.

"So, what? You're gonna replace me? Disown me?"

"Of course not, mijo" his father said. "We're starting an intern programme that-".

"So you _are_ replacing me? I'm your son!"

"You chose to stop being our son the day you walked out our door, and ended up in a hospital bed", Valeria said, sternly. "Why must you constantly be reminded that you walked out on us?! You refused to come home."

"Well if it's gonna be like that, then might I remind you, madre, that _you_ chose to stop being my mother an even longer time ago!", Octavio seethed.

He didn't know if he was angrier at his mother or angrier at the fact his leg wouldn't stop shaking.

"Oh, really? Do enlighten me, Octavio. When did I make this choice?"

He couldn't stop his voice from cracking.

"The day I was born!"

His mother seemed momentarily taken aback by his words, perhaps even hurt, before quickly regaining her composure.

"Un poco de respeto, Octavio!"

"No. Fuera de acá! Estoy harto de ti! Vete!"

* * *

"What do you think they're talking about?" Elliott asked, turning his phone over in his hands, as he leaned on the bar.

Octavio had said he'd call but he hadn't sent as much as a text and it had been a couple of hours. Ajay swirled her drink around in her glass.

"I have no idea" she sighed.

"I could never understand how he can hate his parents so much" Natalie added, taking a sip of her lemonade. "I'd give anything to speak to Papa one more time."

"I don't think I could ever stay mad at my creator. When I find them" Pathfinder chimed in, as he merrily wiped down the bar top.

Anita grunted in acknowledgment of the conversation, sliding her empty beer bottle across to the robot who replaced it with a fresh one.

"He doesn't realise what he's doing, he'll regret it someday. If anyone should know the importance of family, it's you Elliott. Knock some sense into him before I do it myself."

"Ya don't know whatcha talkin' about" Ajay said. "Not all of us were blessed with perfect families."

The trickster ran a hand over his beard, considering what each of the women had said.

"I don't know what to think. His dad doesn't seem that bad but his mom…"

"Is kinda a bitch?" the medic offered.

"I was gonna say, she seems like she has a stick up her ass, but that works too," Elliott chucked, swiping his thumb over his phone screen again.

Nothing.

"Ay, well if that ever gets back to her, I'm sayin' ya said it. Not me"

Anita continued to watch the trickster obsessively check his phone, as the conversation shifted to a different topic.

"Give me that thing!" she demanded, swiping the device from his hands. "Didn't your Grandma ever tell you, a watched kettle never boils?"

"It's not a kettle!" he protestested, trying to grab the phone back but the soldier swatted his hands away, before tossing it to Ajay. She illuminated the lockscreen, revealing a picture himself with his arm hung over Octavio's shoulder, as they both beamed at the camera. The speedster had taken the photo as they were getting ready for the reopening of Elliott's bar, after the revenovations. He wanted something to post on his social media, to mark the occasion but decided he liked the picture too much, opting to share it with only Elliott instead.

"Aw, well ain't that adorable", she teased, cackling as the man leaned over the bar to snatch his phone back, a light flush tinting his cheeks.

Anita smirked at her companions as the two younger women emitted into a fit of giggles, as the trickster begrudgingly stuffed his phone back into his pocket.

"Alright ladies, let's make a move. I think we've tortured him enough for one night."

He couldn't resist checking his phone again, as soon as the group had said their goodbyes.

_**Elliott:**_ _Tav, is everything alright or not? Call me. _

He rested his elbows on the bar and buried his face in his hands. Today had been a disaster. He didn't feel like he'd made a good impression on Octavio's parents. Especially his mother. The Militia was a touchy subject for him, and she had insinuated that the cause he'd lost his brothers to was a joke. He was sure they wouldn't like him after how he acted. What if they were convincing their son to go home with them right now, and that's why he wasn't replying to his messages.

"Is everything alright, friend? You look like something is troubling you" Pathfinder inquired, as he cleared away the remains of the girls' drinks.

Elliott let out a weary sigh and pushed himself away from the bar, running a hand through his hair as he stood up straight.

"I'm fine, buddy. I could just use a distraction, I guess. You wanna learn how to pour beer?"

The MVRN's display lit up, displaying a happy face.

"Oh yes, friend! That sounds fun!"

"Alright"

Elliott retrieved a fresh glass from under the bar and passed it to his metal companion.

"It's pretty easy. You're gonna wanna hold the glass at an angle, like this. Start your pour and then-"

The sound of someone clearing their throat behind them, distracted him from the lesson.

"Hey, what can I get y-...Oh, hello."

He wasn't expecting Bertrán Silva, to be sitting at his bar when he turned around. He wasn't expecting Bertrán Silva, to be sitting at his bar ever.

"I hope you don't mind me coming by unexpected like this. It wasn't particularly difficult to find, and I was hoping I might speak with you."

"You w-were?"

"Elliott, friend? When is the best time to stop pouring?"

He turned to see the robot still pouring the beer, despite it spilling all over the floor.

"Path!" he exclaimed, rushing to turn the tap off. "You're supposed to stop when the glass is full!"

The MVRN's display turned to a sad face.

"Sorry, friend."

"That's quite the impressive machine", Bertrán mused. "Did you design it yourself?"

"No, friend. I'm searching for my creator. If I stay here with Elliott, there's a chance I might hear something about them. He's helping me. We're best friends!"

"Path, _please_! Just...here. Go clean those tables or something", Elliott passed him a cloth, utterly exasperated and a little embarrassed at this whole situation.

"Sure! We make a great team!"

"Sorry, uh, about him" he said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Can I...get your something to drink?"

"Whiskey. Double, if you don't mind."

The pair remained in silence for some time, as Bertrán sipped at his drink.

"As I mentioned earlier, I wanted to speak with you. About my son."

Elliott prepared himself for the worst, for the second time that day, eyeing the older man cautiously as he took another sip of his drink. He couldn't help but notice his eyes. They were hazel. The same as Octavio's.

"Is he happy here?"

Elliott would admit, it wasn't the question he was expecting.

"Y-yeah. I think so."

Bertrán nodded thoughtfully.

"I'd like for him to come home. I don't think he's safe here."

Elliott couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"No. He's safe with me."

"I don't doubt that", he said, placing his glass back on the counter. "What I do doubt, is these...games."

"He's not in any serious danger."

"What does your father make of you running around with guns all day? You're a part of all this too, aren't you?"

Elliott tugged at the hem of his t-shirt.

"I couldn't tell you. I don't know him."

"I see,'' was the response he got. "Well, all I can say is, you'll understand my point of view, when you have children of your own."

Elliott swallowed, harshly. His throat felt painfully dry right now.

"When _we_ have kids."

"Pardon?"

"Me and Octavio. We have plans...to start a family together some day. He wants to settle here."

Elliott wasn't sure if it was what he said or the alcohol that caused the older man's eyes to mist over. He nudged his now empty glass across the counter, which Elliott quickly refilled.

"My son has always been so secretive about his life. Ever since he was old enough to come and go as he pleased, there was always something. It took us weeks to track him down after he'd fled the hospital after that...incident. When we finally found him, he'd somehow gotten himself here. How, I don't know. The family account was never touched. I was so angry at him, for running away. He promised me he'd come home and instead he ran. He came home once, since, and all we did was argue. I...said some things I regret now. And yet, somehow I have the audacity to sit here and wonder why my son continues to keep secrets from me. I had no idea about you. I had no idea he was even interested in…".

Elliott caught the quick glance he shot at him.

"Men?"

"...Anyone. As I'm sure you can imagine, it was...quite the shock. Neither he nor my wife, helped the situation. They can't speak about anything without arguing. Never could. She only wants what's best for him, but he can't see that. She came from nothing herself. Worked her way up the ladder. She's remarkably driven but stubborn. He's more like his mother than he even realises. They argued the whole time we've been here. I left them to it and took a walk around the city. It's a lot nicer than I expected. I can see why Octavio might be fond of it. Along with its inhabitants."

The statement caught Elliott off guard. Was that...approval? He wanted so badly to be able to fix all this for his partner and as he continued to think about it, he decided he may never have another opportunity like this. As he refilled the man's glass for the third time, he took a quick shot for himself, hoping it would provide him with the Dutch courage to do this. He had to ask.

"Can I ask you something, Mr Silva?"

"Of course. I've rambled away enough of your time."

"Have you...ever _tried_ to talk to him? W-without your wife?"

* * *

Octavio stood at the kitchen counter, swirling the clear liquid in the bottom of his glass around, before downing it. It burned his throat but he briskly filled another, quickly screwing the cap back on the bottle as he heard the front door of the apartment open. He cradled the glass in his hands, wondering if he really wanted to drink it or not. He was never the biggest fan of alcohol.

"Why didn't you call me? I was worried!" Elliott said, as he walked into the room.

Octavio was almost happy to him, until he noticed there was someone with him. His father.

"What's _he_ doing here?!"

"I just want to talk to you, mijo. Is your mother here?"

"No. She left shortly after you did. I told you to leave and I meant it! Get out!"

"Tav, just listen for two seconds. He just wants to talk" Elliott said softly.

His partner was obviously irritated from whatever had happened earlier and he didn't want to make the situation worse. However, he quickly realised that it might be too late for that, as the younger legend whirled on him.

"This was your idea?! Mierda, Elliott. What is wrong with you?! Whose side are you on?!"

"Yours! Th-that's why I think you should just hear him out."

His father took a cautious step forward.

"I'm not here to fight, mijo. I just want to talk to you."

"You had plenty of time to talk today, when mamá was saying all that shit and you said nothing! Don't try to pretend you don't want the same as her!"

Bertrán ran a hand through his dark hair, a frustrated sigh escaping him.

"You put us in a tough situation! What did you expect me to do, Octavio? Let the company die?! I did everything I could to set you up. Good schooling, extra curriculars, a well paying job. We had families contacting us monthly, about arranging meetings with their daughters. But it was never enough for you! I can never understand it, Octavio. What more could you possibly want?!"

"For you to listen to me!" Octavio yelled. "You homeschooled me so I'd have no friends, you tried to force me to learn the fucking piano to impress all your asshole business friends. I never wanted your stupid desk job. And as for your arranged relationships, all those girls were boring as hell! They only cared about getting up the corporate ladder. Just like you. That's all you ever cared about! The company. Not me!"

"That's not true and you know it" his father responded, still somehow remaining perfectly calm.

"It is true! You tried to control my whole life but never wanted to be part of it! Do you know how many different nannies I had?! Thirteen! Thirteen different people I was dumped with so you and mamá could drink champagne and travel the galaxy. And every single one of them left!"

"You were out of control!" his father, retaliated. "Your behaviour was totally unbearable. No one wanted to submit themselves to that!"

"Including you!"

He spat the words like they were acid, throwing his glass against the floor in his rage, shattering it into hundreds of tiny pieces. Elliott dashed forward to restrain his boyfriend who was reaching for something else to throw.

"Hey! Knock it off! I know you're upset but this shit isn't okay! You're acting like a brat!"

"I'm not upset!" he seethed, struggling against his partner's stronger arms. "Get off me!"

"What happened to my Tavi?" his father said quietly, shaking his head.

"He grew up!"

"It doesn't look like it from where I'm standing."

Octavio finally fought his way free from the trickster's grasp.

"Then get out! Vete a la mierda! Te odio!"

And with that, he stormed off to the bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

The room fell painfully silent after that, save for the sound of glass crunching under Elliott's feet as he shuffled them awkwardly. Bertrán let out a weary sigh before speaking.

"Well I suppose that's that then. Gracias for trying, Elliott but...I should go. My wife is waiting for me. I hope. After all this."

Elliott nodded sadly, before following him to the door. He was surprised when the older man stopped to pull a business card out of his pocket and handed it to him.

"If I may give you a piece of advice? Give this up. Move away. If you're serious about building a life with my son, you'll think about. And if either of you ever need help doing that, contact me."

Elliott hovered around the kitchen for a while, after he'd left, trying to gather his thoughts. He cleaned up the mess his boyfriend had made before deciding he couldn't deny the inevitable any longer. He knocked gently on the bedroom door a few times.

"Tav? Can I come in?"

He waited for an answer he knew he wasn't going to get, opting to just enter anyway. He didn't know why he was so nervous. This was his room too, after all. It was so dark when entered, he could just barely make out the tuft of dark hair, sticking out from under the blankets.

"Tav?"

He tentatively made his way towards the bed, sitting down on the other side. He pulled the blankets down just enough to reveal his partner who was curled up inside, arms covering his face.

"Hey. I'm talking to you."

"Well I don't want to talk to you" Octavio responded, snatching the blankets back and pulling them further over his head.

"Me?! What did I do?!"

"You brought him here!"

Even though his voice was muffled, Elliott could still hear the anger behind his words.

"I...thought I was doing something good."

"I don't care! You had no right to get involved in my family like that!"

"Your dad came to me. He was-"

"You had no right!"

Elliott sighed. His intentions were good but after seeing how his plan had worked out, he could now see that Octavio was probably right.

"I'm sorry. I know you're upset now but, maybe-"

"I'm not upset!"

The trickster tried to pull the blankets away again but was met by some resistance.

"Tav. Come on. Look at me. I said I was sorry."

He could hear his boyfriend's muffled laughter under the covers, but it didn't sound joyous. Just bitter.

"Everyone thinks they can just apologise and that makes up for the shitty things they've done."

"Tav…".

"Go away, Elliott."

Elliott stood at the window of their apartment, staring down at the city below him. People passed by, living their own lives not knowing he was stood watching them. Solace City was typically always lively at this time but tonight there seemed to be more people than usual. More people to mock him. He was secretly jealous of most of them. The groups of people who passed by laughing, still having all of their friends. The tourists who were experiencing the city for the first time, the hustle and bustle was still exciting and fresh for them, but it had turned tiring and stale for him, some time ago. The families who were rushing to get their children home, and out of the dark. He despised every single one of those people in that moment, squeezing the pill packet he held tighter, causing the cardboard to dent and crumple. He threw it across the room, and it clattered against the wall, sliding to the ground like the useless crutch they were. He flopped back onto the couch, groaning when he felt an uncomfortable bundle beneath him. He searched underneath himself, pulling out something soft. One of Octavio's hoodies. Running his fingers over material felt foreign, but it was the familiar smell that urged him to hold the item close, like a child with their protective blanket. He took out his phone and stared at the picture of him and Octavio. He wiped at his eyes, mentally blaming the bright light of the display for making them water. He couldn't even be mad at the lies his brain was telling him, as it was a welcome respite against the vicious thoughts that attacked him, telling him Octavio hated him. He'd ruined it, like he ruined everything. That he should stop trying because, every relationship he had always ended the same. He was just destined to be alone and perhaps it was time he accepted that. He scrolled through the menus, his thumb hovering over one of the many options available to him:

Change Screensaver.

Octavio couldn't sleep. No matter how hard he clenched his eyes together sleep wouldn't come. Instead he was plagued with watery eyes, causing him to continuously rub at them, making them sore and itchy. He couldn't get warm, no matter how tightly he pulled the blankets around himself. He reached out to the other side of the bed, dragging Elliott's pillow under covers and pulling it close to his chest. He buried his face into it, inhaling deeply as the trickster's scent washed over his senses, providing a sense of comfort but only briefly. It seemed the more desperate he became for the smell, the more it faded it way, leaving him feeling more alone than before. He took his phone from the bedside table and opened their text log, that was filled with all the messages he'd previously ignored. His fingers hovered over the keyboard for a painfully long time, before he managed to type something and send it, receiving a reply almost instantly.

_**Tav:**_ _where are you_

_**Elliott:**_ _In the living room._

_**Tav:**_ _come here_

He waited. And waited. He waited so long that he thought the trickster wasn't coming, until he heard some shuffling outside and the sound of the bedroom door being opened. He sat up in the bed, watching the shadowy silhouette of his boyfriend remain in the doorway.

"Are you going to come to bed?"

"I thought you wanted me to go away."

Octavio felt his chest tighten, breathing heavily a few times before he couldn't hold it back anymore and a series of sobs wracked his small frame like an earthquake. It wasn't long before a gentle hand was on his cheek, and he opened his eyes to see his partner sitting crossed legged in front of him. He leaned into the touch, which gave Elliott the confidence to use his free hand to take the speedster's own hand, squeezing it tightly. He could probably count the amount of times he'd seen Octavio cry on one hand. He didn't say anything, allowing the runner to take the lead with the conversation.

"They're trying to replace me,'' he sniffled. "They want me to sign a contract saying I'm giving back my share in the company so they can give it to someone else. It's like they're...disowning me."

"Can they do that?"

Octavio shrugged, wiping his eyes again.

"I don't know. Apparently."

"Did you sign it?"

"No."

Elliott didn't really know what to do with this information. Multi-million dollar companies and their logistics was beyond him. He leaned their foreheads together.

"I'm sorry this is happening, baby. I wish I knew what to say to make it all better."

"Yeah", Octavio nodded sadly. "Me too."

"And I'm...so sorry. I shouldn't have brought your dad here. I thought...I don't know what I was thinking but it was stupid. Can you forgive me?"

"I...don't know. Not right now. I'm still pretty mad."

Elliott nodded.

"Okay. I...I love you. You know that. R-right?"

Octavio squeezed his partner's hand tighter.

"And I still love you. That much, I do know."

He rubbed his hands over his tear stained cheeks.

"Díos Mio, I'm such an ugly crier."

Elliott smiled softly at him.

"No, you're beautiful. Maybe...a little crazy sometimes, but beautiful."

The speedster let out a small laugh.

"I was a lot crazier before you got your claws into me."

He leaned forward and placed a tender kiss on his partner's lips.

"Well you better get used to them, baby. These claws aren't letting you go anytime soon," Elliott told him, pulling him close.

* * *

Octavio groaned as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, his slumber being disturbed by an annoying noise. He shifted about in the bed, causing his partner's arm, which was wrapped around his waist, to slip away. He peered around the room, searching for the source of the sound, eventually noticing it was Elliott's phone alarm. Octavio figured he must have forgotten to turn it off last night. Since his trickster boyfriend, seemed to have no intention of waking up to turn it off, Octavio tasked himself with stretching over his sleeping form, to turn the alarm off himself. He smiled to himself, at the picture of the two of them on Elliott's home screen. He liked that photo a lot. Even if his boyfriend was kinda stupid sometimes, he couldn't help but love him. Elliott couldn't bring himself to change it, ignoring what his anxieties had told him.

Octavio decided to get up, despite it still being early morning. He wandered into the kitchen and over to the fridge, taking out a carton of orange juice and placed it on the counter, as he reached into one of the cupboards to grab a glass. It was only then, he noticed the card that had been left on the countertop. His father's business card. He took the card in his hands, staring down at it, as all the emotions of the night before came flooding back to him. He was still angry but the feelings were less intense now. Part of him wished he hadn't walked away, that he hadn't thrown that glass and he just stopped for a minute to actually listen to what his father had to say. He didn't have to like what he heard but maybe the peace of mind might do him good. Octavio had spent the last few years of his life running, whether it was from bullets or from his problems, it was all the same to him. He knew his family was beyond repair but maybe this was a sign. Maybe everything that happened yesterday was a sign that now was his time to get the one thing he wanted, that his parents might be able to give him. Closure.

He paced around the apartment, for almost an hour, flicking his fingers against the card, as he carried it with him. As tempting as it was to go for a run to burn off this nervous energy, this was the one time in his life where running would just create more problems. He eventually settled himself on the couch, with his phone in one hand and the business card in the other. He looked between the two before shaking his head. What was doing? He didn't want to speak to Bertrán Silva of Silva Pharmaceuticals. He wanted to talk to Bertrán Silva, his dad. Tossing the card aside, he scrolled through his phone book until he found the one he was looking for: Papá. He took a deep breath, as he pressed the dial button, his leg jittering as he wondered whether his father would even pick up. But he did.

"Hola?"

Octavio let out the breath he was holding.

"Uh...Hola, Papá. It's me...Tavi. Do you have time to talk?"


	11. Catch Me

"Woohoohoo", Octavio cheered, using his jump pad to soar through the air. There really was nothing like it. He was on the trial of some fledgling who thought it was a good idea to try snipe him out of the air earlier. They seemed to be alone as they rushed into a building. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion when he used his jump pads like this, using the edge of a cliff to get the maximum height and momentum as he barrelled towards the ground. Perhaps that's how he knew before he even hit the dirt below him that something wasn't right. He hadn't quite stuck the landing and lost his balance, sliding in the dirt before tripping over a rock, sending him tumbling down a hill. He'd felt the pull on the way down but it wasn't until he was lying on his back, heart hammering in his chest and laughing to himself, that he realised he was missing a leg and couldn't stand up.

"Uh, could use some help over here" he called into his comm, trying to shuffle himself into some sort of cover, though his choices were limited in the open space.

"Someone shootin' ya? Tough luck. I told ya not to go off on yer own", Ajay's voice crackled slightly but he could still hear the annoyance in it.

"No, but I could use another limb replacement. You're good at those" he chuckled, receiving a sigh in response. "Come on, Che. I need you to put me back together."

"I can't get t'ya. Ring's comin'".

He laughed at her.

"Alright, chica. I'll wait here."

"I'm serious. We ain't gettin' ya. We gotta keep goin'."

His heart began thumping again but for a different reason this time.

"Come on, amiga. You can't leave me here! I can't even move, what do you expect me to do?!"

"Look, I'm sorry. I'll make it up t'ya" she told him, though he was unsure if it sounded genuine. It was promptly followed by a sound of clicking, letting him know she'd muted him.

"Ajay?!" he called, though he knew she couldn't hear him. "Ajay?!"

"Joder" he said quietly, drumming his fingers on his stomach.

What was he going to do now? He knew there was no way he'd be able to get up and go anywhere with just one leg, and nothing to support him. He stayed laying on his back, despite the dampness from dirt seeping into his clothes. Sitting up meant he could end up being target practice for that fledgling he was following. He could feel himself starting to sweat but it quickly ran cold.

"Ring closing"

His thighs began to jitter uncontrollably. What was he going to do? The ring hurt at the best of times, when he could run away from it with his veins pumping with adrenaline. He'd never just been stuck in it before, with no hope of getting out. His breathing began to quicken as his vision turned red as he was blinded by the bright light of the ring, his body overcome by a burning sensation. There was nothing he could but roll over and bury his face in his arms, trying to ignore the plea of his body, which begged him to thrash against the pain. That's when he heard the quiet beeping, which forced him to pry his eyes open to inspect the source. A frag grenade.

* * *

It took him some time to realise the throbbing in the back of head wasn't from an explosion but due to a collision with the bedside table. He breathed a sigh of relief, now knowing he had nothing to fear from the ring and it was all just some horrible nightmare. Ever since those messages to Ajay were leaked, and some of his fan base had turned on him, and that visit from his parents, he'd been having weird dreams like this. However, Octavio wasn't sure if his current situation was worse or not, as he rubbed at the sore spot on the back of his skull. He'd tumbled out of bed in his sleep. The bedroom floor felt cold underneath him as he forced himself to sit up, feeling somewhat exposed in the darkness, wearing nothing but his underwear. He was starting to regret jokingly asking Elliott to carry him to bed last night, as he peered over the edge of the mattress. It was fairly high up and his prosthetics were still discarded in the living room. Resting his elbows on the side of the bed, he attempted to hoist himself up, quickly plopping back down to the floor, when the muscles in his arms gave out, losing their battle against the weight of the rest of his body. He tried again, this time gripping his fingers into the sheets but he got the same results. He silently cursed himself for skipping out on Anita's offer of strength training, as he tried to rub some warmth back into his thighs. He narrowed his eyes at the scars on his skin, that were constantly there to remind him of the Gauntlet incident. Octavio didn't regret much in life and as strange as it might sound to some, he didn't regret losing his legs. Not in the ring anyway but, in times like this? It was hard to not listen to the nagging voice in the back of his mind that asked; was it worth it?

No matter what way he tried to lift himself up, he couldn't quite get it right, slipping back to the ground each time. He wiped at his eyes, which were beginning to mist over due to frustration. He shivered as he looked towards his partner, who was still sleeping somewhat soundly, save for the occasional twitch or mumble. Elliott had a habit of kicking off his side of the covers in his sleep, something Octavio never really understood. He was often cold at night but he never remembered their apartment being this cold. He sighed wearily to himself as his skin continued to tingle, goosebumps forming down his arms. As much as he completely despised the idea, he was in a bit of a tough situation and decided he had to do something he didn't exactly feel proud of. Ask for help.

"Elliott" he called softly, not wanting to startle his partner awake.

Sleep was a commodity to the trickster, who was still adjusting to the side effects of his medication. He often slept far too much or not at all, something his work schedule at the bar didn't help with. Octavio always had trouble sleeping, and disturbing his partner's much needed rest was making him feel worse about this whole situation. He hated feeling like this. Feeling helpless. Being a burden.

"Elliott" he tried again, a little louder this time.

The other problem with the trickster's sleeping behaviours was when he did settle down to sleep, he was an incredibly heavy sleeper, often missing his morning alarm. Octavio loved his significant other but he couldn't help but feel more and more frustrated at him, the longer this ordeal went on. He reached his arm up to swipe his pillow from the bed, tossing it with some force in the trickster's direction.

"ELLIOTT!"

Elliott awoke with a small yelp, whatever dream he was having being interrupted.

"Those aren't mine! I don't do drugs anymore!...H-hello?"

"Over here."

Elliott rubbed the sleep from his eyes and brushed his curls away from his face as he scanned around the room, squinting in the dark. Octavio could hear him yawn loudly as he switched his bedside lamp on.

"Tav?"

"Down here. Help me."

The trickster rolled over onto Octavio's side of the bed, and looked down at his boyfriend with a slight smirk on his face.

"Hey cutie. Whatcha doing down there? Come here often?"

"I'm filing paperwork. What does it look like?"

Octavio wasn't amused, a pout forming on his lips as his partner continued to smile down at him.

"I fell, okay? Help me up."

Elliott slipped his hands under his armpits and hoisted him back into bed with a groan.

"You're lucky your boyfriend hits the gym, huh?"

Octavio grumbled some an incoherent response as he buried himself back into the blankets.

"Hey, grumpy" Elliott cooed, slipping his hands under the covers until they landed on the runner, before pulling him into his arms. "Ugh, baby. You're cold."

"I know."

"What's wrong?"

Octavio didn't want to tell him what was bothering him but, as Elliott continued to rub heat into his arms and placed soft kisses into his hair, he relaxed slightly. He felt like a bit of a hypocrite in all honesty, having at times begged his partner to open up to him more, and here he was hiding his innermost insecurities as usual.

"I just...don't like being all helpless like that."

Elliott's fingers grazed lusciously down his back, making him shiver but for a more pleasant reason this time.

"You're not helpless. You're one of the strongest people I know."

"I just hate it that after everything I did to try and keep my independence and I still can't do it properly. Asking Ajay to risk her job for me. Running away from home. What was the point of all that if I still can't take care of myself?"

"Don't say that" Elliott attempted to soothe him. "You take care of yourself everyday. And for the stuff you do need help with, I'm here to help you. The same way you'd help me if I needed you."

"But that's the thing, amor", Octavio sighed. "You don't need me for anything. You don't get it."

The pair stayed silent for some time. Octavio had almost fallen back asleep by the time Elliott decided to speak up again.

"Have I ever told you the story my mom used to tell me? The one about the fish and the waterfall?"

Elliott had told him this story before. Multiple times in fact. However, the story's details often changed and could either have a happy or more morbid ending, depending on how intoxicated he was when he told it. The speedster decided to play along for now.

"What story?"

The trickster adjusted his position so he could prop himself up on one elbow, gently using his free hand to tilt Octavio's chin towards him.

"There was this group of fish, swimming up a river but they stopped when they got to a waterfall. There was one fish who wanted to keep going. He wanted to get to the top. But all the other fish made fun of him. They said he was too small. Too weak. But he tried anyway. He fell down a lot, scraped up his scales a little bit, but he kept trying. One day, he did it. He got to the top, and he was met by the gods who wanted to reward him for his persever-per-perse-...uh...his...because he kept trying. So, they turned him into a dragon. He was stronger than all the other fish. And pretty hot too, if I remember correctly. As far as fish go, anyways"

Elliott settled himself back down, with a small chuckle, resting one hand behind his head, a musing tone to his voice when he continued.

"I never really understood that story when I was a kid. She told it to be again before I came here. And still, I never really got it. Not until I met you."

"You're just saying that", Octavio replied, but still accepted the embrace offered to him.

"I think you're incredible", Elliott whispered into his hair. "Everytime I think about throwing in the towel, I think of you. I wanna be strong like you. Fearless like you. And I want to be strong and fearless for you. I love you and I wanna be able to help you when you need it, like you've helped me. But at the same time, I know you won't always need my help. I still keep that picture we took in my suit. It makes me feel better if I'm having a tough game. There's no shame in needing a little help sometimes. You taught me that."

It wasn't often Octavio found himself at a loss for words, but on this occasion he was. The flush on his face said enough. His body felt warm for the first time, since his partner had scooped him up off the floor. He shivered as the trickster idly combed his fingers through his hair, a calming technique Octavio had used on him in the past. Maybe Elliott was right. They were partners. A team. He didn't think he'd ever be able to accept the occasional loss of his independence but, the thought of having Elliott around to support him made it that little bit easier. He sighed contently as his partner's fingers continued to toy with his fringe.

"Elliott?"

"Hmm?"

"Kiss me."

Elliott propped himself up on his elbow again, grinning down at him before bringing his lips to meet Octavio's.

"With pleasure, baby."

He sighed contently, wrapping a lazy arm around trickster's neck, drawing him closer.

"Mmm...I love you, Tav."

"Yo también te amo, mi amor. Sorry for waking you but would it kill you to make the effort to catch me next time?" he joked, receiving a tired laugh in response.

"I got you, sweetheart" Elliott replied, stifling a yawn., before draping an arm over his partner's waist. "But right now, I wouldn't say no to a couple more hours of shut eye."

Octavio leaned over to place a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Me too. Buenos noches, cariño."

"Night, gorgeous. Sweet dreams."

Octavio nodded to himself as he settled down against his lover. Hopefully, his dreams would be a little sweeter this time around.


	12. John

Octavio lounged in bed, contemplating whether he actually wanted to get up or not. The running of the shower in the ensuite set a nice ambiance as he scrolled through his social media, reading all the comments on his latest video. He thought about getting up and starting his day, with one part of him feeling slightly bad for staying in bed so late, while the other part wanted to continue relaxing with the hopes of convincing his partner to come back to bed, when he was finished in the shower. As he lay there trying to make a decision, his thoughts were interrupted by a chiming sound coming from Elliott's bedside table. The runner stretched himself over to retrieve his partner's phone with a groan, checking to make sure it wasn't an urgent message relating to the bar or something else important. Instead, it was a text from someone named "John". Who the hell was John? Octavio wracked his brain for clues. He didn't know a John. Not one from around here anyway and he was pretty sure Elliott didn't know any Johns either. Except now, apparently he did. He drummed his fingers against the back of the device. Should he open the text? He had a right to know who his boyfriend was texting. Right?

Before he had a chance to make his decision, the bathroom door swung open, startling him and causing him to drop his partner's phone into his lap. Elliott smiled at him when he emerged from the bathroom, a towel wrapped snugly around his hips.

"Look who finally decided to wake up" he teased, toweling his hair off as he did so.

"Your uh...your phone has a text on it" Octavio told him, offering the device to his partner as he sat down on the bed. He peppered the trickster's shoulder with kisses as he opened the text conversation with this "John". His hazel eyes watched the screen intently as he continued his journey upwards, planting a series of kisses on his lover's neck.

_**John:**_ _I'll meet you later then. Got something pretty special to show you._

Octavio's eyes narrowed at the screen. Special? _Special?!_ What could this guy possible have to show Elliott that was so special? He continued his nuzzling at his partner's neck, who began to laugh as he typed out a simple "sounds good", in response.

"B-babe. I'm still all wet."

"And I'm still all horny" the speedster murmured into his ear, wrapping his arms around his waist. "Vamos. Come back to bed."

"I gotta go to work, baby" Elliott reminded him, turning to place a quick kiss on his cheek for good measure.

Octavio whined in protest as his partner stood up and moved towards their closet to dry himself off and pick out something appropriate to wear. He shuffled himself to the edge of the bed, pulling his prosthetics towards him, as he watched his partner pull a button-up shirt over his shoulders.

"You mean you're going to meet this John guy. Who is he?"

The question was intended to sound casual, and Octavio wanted to physically punch himself for allowing his pitch to rise just slightly.

"He used to work for one of my old suppliers for the bar but he decided to go out on his own and start doing his own thing," Elliott told him, inspecting his hair in the bedroom mirror. "He seems pretty cool and knows where to get the good stuff for a decent price."

"So...He's texting you about beer?" Octavio continued. "Why can't he just send an email, like a normal person?"

"Not beer. Whiskey. And Rum...Maybe" his partner corrected him, backtracking across the room to go back into the bathroom. "It's just quicker to text. These deals get picked up pretty fast. You know how it is."

Octavio followed the trickster into the bathroom and leaned against the doorframe, their conversation continued over the sound of the hairdryer in his boyfriend's hand.

"I...guess that makes sense."

"You're not jealous, are you?" Elliott quipped, using the reflection of the bathroom mirror to look at the younger legend, who stuck his tongue out in response.

"No...I'm just...Making conversation."

His partner didn't say anything for a while, as he began applying some sort of hair product to his curls.

"We're just friends", he eventually said. "If you could even call it that."

"I know."

"Good", Elliott replied, wiping his hands off in a towel before turning to him and tilting his chin upwards so he could place a lingering kiss on his lips, before giving him a cheeky smile. "I'll be home early, so I'll deal with you later."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Octavio followed his partner into the kitchen, waving him off as he left for work. He drummed his fingers on the countertop when he was left alone. He trusted Elliott, and it was totally fine if he wanted to hang out with other guys. Everyone needs friends. He had nothing to be concerned about. He knew that. This was fine.

* * *

"What am I gonna do?!" Octavio said out loud, as he paced between the tables of the Apex canteen. "Should I look him up on social media? Ugh...No, I shouldn't. I don't wanna know if he's hot or not!"

"You're talkin' crazy talk" Ajay told him, adding sugar to her coffee. "Sit down will ya? You're like a rat in a cage."

Anita's eyes flicked between the pair, twirling her fork around in her food.

"I don't understand why you're with him if you don't trust him. Makes no sense to me at all."

"I do trust him!" the runner protested. "It's this other guy I don't trust. Inviting some stranger over to your bar so he can show you "something special". That's the start of a porno if I've ever seen one!"

"Listen to yourself!" the medic scolded, grabbing his arm and yanking him down into a seat, with such force that he almost lost balance. "If it's that big of an issue for ya, ask Elliott if you can meet him. It might drill it into that dense brain a yours that's he's allowed to have friends."

"Why do I even bother coming to you with my problems? All you do it harass me" Octavio groaned, rubbing at his arm.

"Because I'm the only one who will listen t'ya and your nonsense."

Anita put her fork down and rested her her elbows on the table, using her laced fingers as a support for her chin, as she eyed the younger legend.

"You want to know what I think?" she asked him, a serious tone to her voice that was, if Octavio was honest, a little intimidating.

"Not really but I'm sure you're gonna tell me anyway, amiga."

"I think you need to grow up" her words were firm but fair. "You're not in highschool anymore, Octavio. Sure, the age difference between you two doesn't seem like much from the outside but think about it. You're in two completely different life stages."

"We are not! We're fine!" he argued back.

"Then why is it okay for you to be here having lunch with us but it's not okay for him to have friends that aren't you or Pathfinder?"

Octavio's mouth opened a few times to speak but no words came out, as he considered her question.

"I think I've made my point" the soldier smirked, leaning back in her chair completely satisfied.

He leaned his forehead against the dining table, feeling somewhat defeated.

"This isn't the type of advice I wanted, you know."

Ajay sighed, rubbing his back sympathetically. A part of her did feel sorry for him. He was one of her closest friends, but she was all too aware that Octavio was the type of person who needed you to put your foot down, even if it would hurt his feelings. He'd be better for it in the long run.

"Tough love is the only thing that ever seems to work on ya, Silva."

* * *

Weeks passed and Octavio was content to continue his day-to-day life with Elliott by his side, with the new addition of this "John" character being casually slipped into conversation by the trickster, from time to time. They'd formed some sort of relationship, the context of which still bothered the speedster no matter how many times he tried to push it to the back of his mind. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to ignore how the apartment was empty more often than usual, as Elliott was invited out for drinks after work or to attend gym sessions outside the compound with John and his group of friends, which Elliott was seemingly becoming a part of. He wasn't sure how he felt about the situation anymore, if he was honest with himself. Elliott made it his business to ensure he wasn't feeling neglected and it warmed Octavio's heart to see the trickster in a better mood. But yet, he couldn't escape the dull feeling in the pit of his stomach that reminded him that he wasn't the reason for this improvement and how these guys were probably a lot better than him and there was a chance that his boyfriend could end up liking some of them instead of him. He carried this weight in the back of his mind while Anita's words telling him to "grow up" clouded the front of it.

It wasn't until he was staring at the newly formed group of friends, from his booth at Elliott's bar one night that all his concerns were hitting him right in the face. Karaoke was the event for the night, and he'd coaxed Ajay, Natalie and a reluctant Anita to come along. He had little intention of doing any singing but Elliott had mentioned his friends were attending, and he wanted to get a better look. Moreso at John, but he couldn't help but notice there were three guys and two women who were crowded around one corner of the bar, chatting and laughing with his partner who was happily engaging back, while serving up drinks. He didn't know who was who.

"Please don't tell me you dragged us out so you can sit there staring at them all night" the soldier spoke, simultaneously tearing off the corners of her beer mat.

"I'm not staring at anybody!" Octavio retaliated, directing his attention back to the three women as if trying to prove his point.

"So why you been sittin' there with a face like a smacked ass?" Ajay joined in, lightly slapping the back of his head. "I swear, Tav. I thought ya were over this."

"I am!"

"Then why dontcha go over there and talk to 'em?"

The runner hung his head, shyly.

"Because I don't want Elliott to know I'm here."

The electrician laughed awkwardly as the two other women exchanged a glance.

"You're so fucking stupid" the soldier said, taking a swig from her beer.

"Do ya want me to go with ya?" the medic asked, watching as two of the men made their way towards the karaoke machine, while the other male and the two women were headed towards the bathrooms. "Look, he's on his own now. Let's just go talk to Elliott first and maybe it'll get this shit outta your head once and for all, yeah?"

The pair approached the bar together, weaving their way through the small crowd that was idling around the lounge, until they were a couple of feet away from their charge.

"Hey, Elliott over here!" Ajay called out, before shoving her friend towards the bar and scampering back through the crowd, cackling gleefully to herself.

"Ajay!" he called after her, when he realised he'd be abandoned. "Por el amor de Dios!"

The commotion grabbed the attention of the bartender, as well as some of his patrons and Octavio was left staring back at his lover, who despite everything, still looked happy to see him.

"Hey, babe! Why didn't you say you were coming?"

"I uh...just wanted to surprise you", the speedster lied, absentmindedly drumming his fingers on the bar as he looked around for any sign of the group that had previously occupied this spot.

Elliott took his hand, running his thumb over his partner's antsy fingers.

"You look really nice tonight" he told him as he looked him over, soon realising the younger legend was looking everywhere but towards him, while simultaneously biting on his bottom lip. The trickster shook his hand to regain his attention.

"What's the matter, sweetheart?"

It wasn't really a question Octavio was prepared to answer. How do you explain "I'm self-conscious and now that I know your new friends are more attractive than me, I'm more worried you'll dump me for one of them,'' without sounding...desperate? He sheepishly met the pair of brown eyes that were watching his movements with obvious concern. Maybe he should say something? Maybe Anita was right and it was time for him to grow up and confront this fear of his. He knew it was an irrational fear. He knew Elliott loved him and everything they've been through together had made them secure and solid. But he couldn't help it. He just didn't want to be abandoned again. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by the man and the two women from earlier making a reappearance. Elliott continued to toy with his fingers as the group approached, his eyes coasting in their direction as he greeted them with a slight tilt of the head.

"Same again, when you're ready barkeep."

Octavio took note of the women, but his main focus was the male figure, as he leaned back against the bar. He chuckled to himself as he watched his two friends on the stage, who were simply yelling into the microphone at this point, the rhythm of the song lost on them.

"Damn, they're really going for it, huh?" he said, the comment received a laugh from both of the women, as well as Elliott, who was now setting their drinks down in front of them.

"Anyways" Elliott spoke up, gathering everyone's attention, as he took Octavio's hand again. "This is Octavio. Tav this is...almost everyone."

The man almost choked on his beer, only now realising he'd had his back to the runner this entire time. He reached a hand out to him, shaking it in what his father would describe as a "business handshake". Something Octavio never quite mastered.

"Dude, I'm so sorry! I didn't even notice you there!"

"You're so much quieter in real life than you are on the TV", one of the women told him.

They knew who he was?

"I'm Sadie. I'm a freelance photographer. I actually took some of your pictures for your first season".

Octavio couldn't say he recognised her. She was pretty. Fiery red hair, she seemed to have a couple of tattoos and a lip piercing. Normally she'd be the type of girl he'd remember.

"I...can't say I remember you" he said awkwardly, but she gave him a warm smile regardless.

"I didn't really look like this back then."

"She's a big fan,'' the man chimed in, gesturing his glass towards him.

"It was definitely one of the more...interesting shoots I've done. That's for sure."

Everyone got a laugh out of that one, as the man turned back to him again.

"I'm John by the way."

Octavio's eyes took in the sight in front of him, properly this time. Of course, this had to John. He was a little taller than Elliott, dark hair, clean shaven, extremely muscular and probably a couple years older than the trickster. He was undeniably attractive and Octavio hated him for it, especially after he'd said something funny enough to make Elliott throw his head back and laugh. He was beautiful when he laughed and he didn't do it often enough, and here this guy was, achieving it like it was nothing. Fuck John. Seriously. Fuck this guy.

"It's great to meet you,'' John continued. "It's nice to be able to finally put an actual face to the name I here so often."

"He...talks about me?"

"Only every time we go anywhere or do anything", he laughed. "It's always 'I wonder what Tav would think', 'I should take Tav here some time'."

Octavio looked towards his partner who was smiling shyly.

"Y'know, buddy. If you're gonna hang me out to dry like that I can return the favour."

"Oh, please do."

If Octavio was honest, he'd completely forgotten there was a second woman here. She brushed her blonde waves from her face with a small laugh, before returning her manicured hands to settle on her glass. She had been extremely quiet this whole time, simply smiling and nodding along with the conversation, which the taller man had only now also realised.

"God, my head is all over the place tonight,'' he chuckled, wrapping an arm around the woman's shoulders. "Octavio, this my wife Lynne."

Wife?

Oh.

_Oh no._

"How...uh...long have you been m-married?" he managed to ask.

He could feel his face starting to heat up. This was not how he was expecting this encounter to go at all. The brushing of Elliott's fingers over his own, provided some comfort but more than anything it just reminded him of how stupid he'd been, for ever doubting his boyfriend.

"Just a little over a year now," Lynne answered, smiling to herself as she absentmindedly toyed with the ring on her finger.

"And we couldn't be happier!" her husband, added. "Though, I think we might have to ditch our apartment soon and find somewhere bigger."

Octavio noticed how Elliott's eyes widened just slightly as his friend's hand moved to rest on the woman's stomach. A small gasp escaped him as the couple began to laugh. Sadie let out an excited squeal and pulled the other woman into a tight hug.

"You're gonna be a dad?!" the trickster asked. "Th-that's...amazing. I had no idea."

John laughed.

"Why do you think you've been serving her orange juice all night, bro?"

It was Elliott's turn to laugh now.

"I didn't even think. Wow. Your first kid. That's...really exciting!"

"You better watch out, Octavio," the soon-to-be-father nudged him playfully. "I think someone's getting a little broody."

The trickster chuckled quietly at the comment but his grip on his boyfriend's hand tightened momentarily, a gesture Octavio graciously returned.

The group spent the next while chatting about memories from couple's wedding and their experience with pregnancy so far, Elliott's future plans for the bar and Sadie chipped in a few times with stories from her job. Octavio shared a few stories of his own about his most famous stunts, much to the photographer's delight. He decided that Elliott's new friends weren't so awful after all. Maybe a little tame for his taste but not awful by any means. They continued to swap stories until Elliott was called away to deal with something in the stockroom, which Octavio took as his queue to say his goodbyes and return back to his table.

"So?" Ajay was already prepared to question him.

"He has a wife and she's pregnant" the runner informed her, slumping into his seat slightly.

The electrician gasped at the information, placing a hand over her mouth.

"Elliott has a wife?!"

"No, Nat. Dios Mio, no. His friend. That guy" Octavio pointed out the man in question as he made his way through the crowd to join his other companions at the karaoke machine.

"And what did we learn from all this?" the medic continued, folding her arms.

"That I'm an idiot. You were right. I was wrong. You happy, Che?"

"Delighted. Ya know every time I get to tell ya, "I told ya so", I get seven days added to my life span."

Anita laughed, as Octavio kicked the medic gently under the table.

"Damn. Ajay's figured out the key to immortality."

Octavio felt a little silly about this whole situation if he was truly honest with himself, and the consistent teasing from the other women didn't help the situation. He knew he had nothing to worry about from the start, and still he let himself run away with his thoughts and allowed everything to get the better of him. He wanted to just curl up in a ball and hide, but his attention was drawn back to the three men on stage who were calling the name of a certain bartender, who was now making his exit from the stockroom.

"Elliott!"

"Elliott! Get up here, bro!"

Octavio watched as his partner shook his head at the request and attempted to make a hasty retreat back to the bar.

"I think he's gonna need some encouragement, folks!" John spoke into the microphone, rallying the crowd into a chant.

"ELLIOTT, ELLIOTT, ELLIOTT, ELLIOTT!"

"I don't sing!" he protested, as he was dragged towards the stage by a couple of his regulars, and was handed a microphone.

"You do now."

The lights dimmed slightly as the machine began to play, some popular song that Octavio had heard on the radio multiple times. He watched as his lover appeared to be scanning the room for something. His heart fluttered when a pair of brown eyes landed on him and his partner gave him a bright smile as he began to sing, prompting the speedster to give him a thumbs up in response. It wasn't long before the act went off the rails, with the other two men continuing their tone deaf singing from earlier, and Elliott and John had to turn their faces away from their mics to mask their laughter. The crowd laughed along with them, and a lighthearted atmosphere settled over the bar, as a small crowd gathered in front of the stage to cheer them on. Octavio was beginning to be glad he decided to come out tonight, after all. Being able to put his mind at ease was reason enough, but getting to see Elliott relax and just have fun was the icing on the cake.

"Okay, it's official. This is the worst boy band I've ever seen" Anita snorted, smirking to herself as she took another sip of her beer.

"Shhhh" Octavio hushed her. "They're not the worst. They're perfect."

Ajay and Natalie decided to join in with the crowd's cheering as the song came to a close, opting to make their own debut to the stage. A cheeky wink was shot in Octavio's direction as the trickster hopped off the stage with a grin, receiving a few claps on the back from his friends and patrons. He was perfect. But more importantly to Octavio, he was his. He just needed to remember that.


	13. Glitched

"Shh, carino. It's okay, it's okay. You're going to be alright."

Octavio brushed the damp curls out of his partner's face. That was a lie. He didn't know if things were going to be alright. It looked pretty bad from where he was sitting, on the medical wing floor with his trickster boyfriend secured in his arms. It broke his heart to hear the whimpers and pained groans that escaped his lover as he shifted his weight around in an attempt to inspect himself. His brown eyes flared with alarm when they fell on the top portion of his suit, the usually bright yellow fabric now tainted with a shade of crimson.

"Oh God. Is th-that all m-my blood?"

The runner grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at him instead.

"Don't look. You're gonna be fine."

The truth was, Octavio didn't know whether his partner would be okay or not. The medical wing was littered with people who had competed in the previous game, all with varying levels of injuries. Somehow, the respawn system had failed, bringing people back in the same state they were in when the game was called off mid-match, after the glitch had been discovered a little too late. As far as Octavio knew, people had died. Really died. A couple of them he recognised from either seeing around the compound or in the ring itself. He'd watched as people were rushed past him, some screaming in agony, others crying out for their loved ones, some were just in plain shock as they were whisked away to the wards or to surgery. The medical bay was highly advanced but nothing could have prepared them for an influx of approximately sixty individuals, all with different ailments. Octavio was fine, save for a couple of scratches here and there. A few of his fellow legends hadn't been so lucky. He'd called out to Natalie when she was ushered past him, to receive something for her pain. He'd witnessed Anita swat the hands of a young nurse away, insisting she was fine, despite the red stain on her shoulder. Ajay and Gibraltar had rushed past him at one point, offering assistance however they could. Legends were priority when it came to pain relief but treatment was given out according to who needed it most. All of this had led him to his current situation. Sitting on the floor of the medical bay, with his partner's head in his lap, who was nursing a gunshot wound to the side, surrounded with the ambiance of other competitors who were all in similar situations.

Elliott had been mostly quiet for this whole ordeal, save for the occasional whimper or groan. He muttered a weak "thank you" to the nurse who came by to offer him pain relief and to inject him with a solution that supposedly would speed up the hemostasis process. Octavio would have argued that it hadn't done anything at all. He would know. It was his hands that were covered in blood. But still, Elliott had remained mostly silent, his focus trained on a specific spot on the ceiling, that wasn't particularly interesting. Perhaps that's why the sudden change in his breathing pattern was noticed by the runner, who looked down at his partner's chest, which was now rising and falling rapidly. He listened as the trickster cleared his throat to speak, his voice hoarse.

"T-tav...I don't wanna be dr-dramatic but...I th-think I'm dying."

"No, you're not!"

"N-no, I...r-really don't feel good. I need you t-to listen...okay?"

"I'll get somebody to help you!"

"T-tav, please just listen to me!" Elliott begged, weakly clawing at the runner's vest with blood stained fingers. "You know th-that cupboard in the kitchen you can n-never r-reach?"

Octavio could feel the tears beginning to prickle in the corners of his eyes.

"Stop it, Elliott."

But the trickster was determined to get his words out, despite the croak in his voice.

"Th-there's a little bl-black box behind the-".

Octavio shook his head in protest.

"I don't want to hear it! Stop talking like that! You're gonna be fine!"

He had to do something. Anything. This is not how it was going to go. If he was ever going to lose his partner, it wasn't going to be from bleeding out in some shitty hallway. He looked around frantically for something to inspire him, before his eyes landed on Ajay making her way down the hallway and into his life, like the guardian angel she always seemed to be.

"Ajay!" he called out to her, noticing how she didn't look entirely happy to see him. "Ajay! Hey, amiga! Kinda, really need your help over here!"

The medic instinctively rolled her eyes, but approached him anyway. She tapped her foot on the linoleum expectantly, looking down at him. She looked a little worse for wear, if Octavio was honest. She'd obviously been in the thick of it. Saving lives. That's what she did. That's what he needed her to do now. He looked up at his friend with pleading eyes.

"You have to do something! Please!"

"He's already been given as much morphine as they can spare. Stop bein' so selfish! People are dyin' in here!"

"But he's still in pain! And he's saying crazy stuff! He needs someone now! Why are they making us wait like this?! We're legends for fucks sake!"

"People are people, Octavio!" she retaliated. "Ya really sound like your mother right now, ya know that?"

"Mira, he really needs someone to look at him, alright?" he continued. He was prepared to get down on his knees and beg if he had to. "Elliott, tell her!"

The pair looked towards the trickster, waiting for him to say something. Instead they were met by an uncharacteristic silence from Elliott, whose head was now lolling to the side, his grip on Octavio's vest lost.

Ajay stooped down to look at her fellow legend, searching around his wrists and neck for his weak pulse.

"Elliott? Oi, Witt? Ya hear me?"

Tears spilled onto the speedster's cheeks, as he clung to his lover protectively.

"Ajay, please!"

Eighty-six seconds it took for Ajay to dash away and convince someone to take Elliott's case on board and to get a doctor and a couple of nurses to finally pay attention to them. It was the longest eighty-six seconds he'd ever counted in his life. He'd beaten the gauntlet in far less time. The commotion caught the attention of some of the game organisers who had come to inspect the damage done to their competitors. Octavio listened intently to their conversation, while Elliott was collected and moved to a room where he could be treated. The organisers were on the warpath, yelling at various medical staff and questioning how they could be so stupid to almost let one of their top earners die.

"But sir, there were other patients who would've died if we'd-"

"And we would've found some other idiot who can hold a gun to replace them! Have you dimwits any idea what we could've lost because of your stupidity?"

Octavio shook his head as he passed by, stopping to linger outside the room Elliott was being treated in. He was angry that all his partner was to the overheads was a means to make more money. Money changed people, corrupted them. He knew that better than most people. It made his stomach feel queasy at the thought of what could've happened if they weren't fortunate enough to be legends. He tried to shove the thought to the back of his mind, as he peered through the small window in the door, trying to see what was happening. Elliott had a chance now. That was all that mattered.

Octavio settled into the chair next to his partner's hospital bed, intertwining their fingers. It wasn't the easiest thing to see. Wires hooked up to various machines that were beeping softly, an IV was dripping fluids off to the side, a breathing apparatus covered most of trickster's handsome features. Is this what it felt like to be the one left waiting, to see if your partner was going to pull through or not? He'd put Elliott through this same situation several times when they first started dating, until the holo-technician put his foot down and begged him to stop doing stunts outside the arena. He didn't really understand it then, but he was beginning to. Although his stunts may have been unpredictable in context, they always had an outcome he had some control over: Survive. That's what Octane did. Survive, bask in the cheers of the crowd, before moving on to the next thing. This situation was different. He had no control, which Octavio didn't like.

"Penny for ya thoughts?"

The runner looked up to see his favourite medic lingering in the doorway. It surprised her just how quickly Octavio was jumping out of his seat and crushing her in a hug.

"Woah, ya miss me that bad, huh?" she quipped but returned the gesture, patting his back affectionately.

"Thank you" he murmured into her shoulder. "I owe you...everything."

"Ya say that like ya haven't owed me, already."

Octavio laughed softly, as he pulled away, his attention falling back to the lone finger laid out in the bed.

"There's always somethin' with you two, ain't there?"

"It feels that way sometimes" he sighed, ruffling his faded green hair. Ajay followed her friend's movements as he returned to his spot in the chair.

"Go home, Tav. Get a change of clothes and somethin' to eat. There ain't nothin' you can do for him. Stay at mine tonight if you don't wanna be on ya own."

"No," Octavio shook his head, rejecting the offer. "I wanna be here when he...if he…". He didn't want to say the words, like he'd jinx the situation if he did. He let out a shaky breath, his leg beginning to twitch involuntarily. "What...What am I going to do? If he doesn't...w-wake up? I haven't...I don't have any plans…".

"He'll wake up."

"You don't know that."

Ajay nudged him playfully.

"Bit late in your career to start doubtin' me now, no?"

"That's not what I meant, amiga."

The medic got onto her knees in front of him, forcing him to meet her bright brown eyes. No matter the situation, Ajay's eyes always burned with a fire that made it hard for you not to believe every word that came out of her mouth.

"Ya listen t'me, ya hear? I spent enough time in the field to know a fighter when I see one. He's gonna be fine. Now, wipe that sour look of your face before I do it for ya."

She got back to her feet and began making her way towards the door, before turning to add:

"Go home. Sleep. Have a shower. Ya look like shit."

Octavio stood to shut the room door behind her. He'd heard enough crying and yelling from the hallways for one night. It was suspicious how the medical bay just so happened to have the medicine and donated blood that Elliott so desperately needed, while the lesser known competitors were left to suffer in the hallways. Did the overheads just have secret supplies stashed away for situations like this? It really did just boil down to money at the end of the day. He wouldn't admit to anyone else but a part of him found it hard to empathise with their cries anymore, since he was no longer sat among them. All he cared about right now was Elliott. He stopped on his way back to his perch next to the bed, to pepper his lover's forehead with light kisses.

"Te amo màs que a nada en el mundo. Nunca quiero estar lejos de ti. Nunca me dejes, por favor."

The trickster's eyelashes flickered slightly at the contact but he didn't open his eyes. The runner simply stood there for a moment watching his partner, the only sign there was any life left in him was the gentle rise and fall of his chest. He plopped down into his chair with a sigh, swinging his legs over the arm to try to get more comfortable. He shucked off his game vest, unclipping his camera and retrieving his phone and earphones from one of the pouches, before tossing it onto the floor. He adjusted his black crop top, as he settled back into the chair, and began scrolling through the files on his recording device. He doubted it but, maybe he'd caught something on film that might explain what happened today. He watched the clips a couple of times before deciding to just delete them. They were worthless. He continued scrolling through his files, opting to clear the device of anymore junk that was lingering from previous games. He stopped when he landed on the photo he and Elliott had taken, that night in King's Canyon all those months ago. He ran his thumb over the screen, before hastily stuffing the camera back into his pocket, replacing it with his phone. His eyes began to feel heavy as he placed his earphones in his ears, the slow beats from the music he'd chosen tempting him into slumber. But he wouldn't sleep. He had to stay awake. Elliott might need him.

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

Octavio grumbled at the noise. How many times did he have to ask Elliott to remember to turn his stupid alarm off? His neck and shoulders ached when he moved. He must have slept in a weird position. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, forcing himself to sit-up with the intention of stopping the aggravating beeping. It was only then, he remembered he wasn't at home and the source of the noise was coming from the screen above his head, the monitoring lines displaying his partner's vitals rose and fell like tidal waves. Hours had passed, and his heart skipped a few beats upon realising this. His attention was quickly shifted away from the screen to the two medical staff at his boyfriend's bedside.

"Elliott, my name's Macey. You're in the medical bay. I really need you to calm down. You have fresh stitches, do you understand?"

"What are you doing?! What's wrong with him?!"

Octavio practically lunged himself at the trickster's bedside, looking down at his boyfriend's body which was physically shaking with fright, while his fear stricken eyes darted around the room.

"I don't think he knows where he is. He's panicking" the nurse told him, while the other turned to search through her trolley of medical supplies, for something that may assist the situation.

The speedster took his boyfriend's clammy had in his, using his free one to tilt Elliott's face towards him.

"Elliott! Elliott! Mira, it's me. It's Tav. You're okay. I'm here."

His hazel eyes drifted towards, the second nurse who was administering a clear liquid into the IV line.

"What is that?"

"Just a little something to help him relax."

It only took a few moments for Elliott's body to calm down, his eyes becoming glazed over and droopy, allowing their original nurse to remove his oxygen mask and run her tests as her colleague was called away to deal with another patient. Despite her looking completely exhausted, she still managed to smile down at her patient who giggled to himself as she took his temperature, thoroughly enjoying the effects of whatever medicine he'd been given.

"What's so funny?" Octavio asked him, only getting a goofy smile in response.

"B-babe, don't t-tell anybody but I have the weirdest boner r-right now."

"Dios Mio, Elliott! Shhh...The nurse is right there!" the speedster hushed him, momentarily looking towards the young woman who was giggling behind her clipboard.

"Oh, sh-shit. Do you th-think they heard me?"

Octavio couldn't fight the smirk that spread onto his face, as he looked down at idiot boyfriend.

"No, amor. I don't think so."

"Oh, good. Th-that would've been s-so emba-embarrassing."

"He always was one of my favourite patients" the nurse chuckled, making the last of her notes. "How are you feeling overall, Elliott? Any pain?"

"I'm so fucking high r-right now," he laughed. "I feel fan-fanah-...Great. Aw-awesome."

"Hey, I hope you saved some of the good stuff. You're not holding out on me are you?" Octavio joked, receiving a tired hum in response.

"I'll be back in a little while to check on him again" the nurse spoke, before gathering her things and leaving the two men alone.

"Y'know, f-for a while th-there I r-really thought I was a goner. I th-thought I w-was...gone when I w-woke up" Elliott said quietly, his speech slurring more now as the clutches of sleep began to take him. "B-but th-then I saw you, and you looked t-too cute to be a hell demon."

Octavio played with his hair fondly and laughed.

"Yeah, not gonna lie. You did scare me a little bit."

"Mmm...I'm sor-sorry, b-baby."

"That's okay, cariño. I can forgive you this once but if you ever pull this shit on me again, I'm gonna kick your ass myself."

Elliott laughed weakly at the comment.

"Oh, y-yeah? Look who's t-talking."

* * *

It had been a few days since Elliott was discharged from the medical bay and was allowed to return home. What had happened in the arena was all over the news, though the organisers had managed to cover the worst of it up, avoiding the games getting a bad reputation with the public. Octavio didn't know how they were able to mask to details of those deaths so effectively. The games had been cancelled until further notice, or at least until the investigation was complete. He switched off the news report he was listening to, having heard enough. Even just thinking about how things could've turned out differently made him shudder, as he absentmindedly picked at a box of chocolates on the kitchen counter. Elliott had received cards and other small tokens of goodwill from his group of friends and a couple of his regulars, most of which had been candy of some sort. Pathfinder had stopped by with a random gift of a cactus, which the trickster had rehomed to the shelf above his desk, much to the MVRN's delight. Octavio pushed the box of chocolates to one side, realising he had made quick work of most of them. He stretched his arms over his head, considering what his plans for the day were, until he heard a frustrated yell coming from the bathroom.

"God, I hate th-this fucking shit!" Elliott exclaimed, as the runner entered the bathroom, curious to see what all the fuss was about. The trickster tossed the roll of bandages onto the bathroom counter, before leaning on the cold surface, with an exasperated sigh.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to change these st-stupid dressings but I can never do it right!"

Octavio tentatively retrieved the bundle of bandages, gesturing for his partner to lift his arms up so he could begin wrapping them around his abdomen.

"Why didn't you ask me to help? You're living with the master of doing his own dressings, you know."

Elliott sighed, looking at his reflection in the mirror.

"I just...Didn't wanna b-burden you. I'm sorry for yelling it's just...I think this whole thing has sh-shook me up more than I th-thought."

"You're not a burden, Elliott. How many times do I have to tell that? Weren't you the one who told me relationships are about being able to help each other?"

The trickster grumbled something in response, gingerly touching the bandages when his partner had snuggly secured them.

"Just another scar to add to the collection, huh?"

Octavio hugged him gently.

"I think they add to your charm."

He felt his lover's chest sag with a sigh, causing the smaller legend to look up at him.

"Let's go on vacation."

"That's...kinda random" Elliott responded, but he didn't seem turned off by the idea.

"Is it? If I remember correctly, you promised me a vacation forever ago and we never went!" Octavio quipped, receiving a small laugh from his partner.

"That's true."

The runner savoured the sensation of Elliott's arms wrapping around him, pulling him as close as he possibly could without hurting himself. It was moments like this when Octavio knew just how madly in love he was. The quiet moments, where nothing particularly exciting was happening. Moments like this would have been totally foreign to him once, but now they were precious and something he was afraid to lose, now knowing how easily it could've happened. He pushed the intrusive thought away, wanting to simply enjoy being able to hold his love and be held by him.

"Thank you, sweetheart. I love you" Elliott murmured into his hair, causing him to sigh with contentment.

"Te amo màs que a nada en el mundo, mi amor. Nunca quiero estar lejos de ti."


	14. Mica

"So, let me get this straight...you said what?"

"I told them "This shit ain't fair and it's straight up favouritism. How come some people are allowed to get a pet and we can't?" and then I told them if they didn't let me do what I want, I'd quit and none of my fans would watch their stupid games ever again. And then I...politely walked them through the potential revenue loss. It didn't take long for them to see sense. I know that's all they really care about it."

Elliott chuckled, slipping his hand into his partner's as they entered the pet store.

"And you say having CEO parents had no effect on you."

His eyes immediately fell on the notice board next to the counter, his chest stirring as he looked over the various animals looking to be adopted.

"I wish they'd just let us get a dog" he sighed. "Look, that one only has three legs. Poor guy."

Octavio folded his arms, obviously somewhat annoyed.

"It was part of their dumb terms and conditions. No large animals, it has to be something that can be somewhat confined so it won't trash our apartment and it can't be something that will cause too much distraction from our training, because we owe a certain level of professionalism to the Apex Games, blah, blah, blah."

"What did you have in mind?" the trickster asked, begrudgingly dragging himself away from the notice board, to follow his partner towards the pet section.

"Maybe a lizard? Or a snake."

"Can you cuddle a lizard?" Elliott asked, grimacing slightly at the information. At least it wasn't a spider.

"I don't know. They're cool though" Octavio spoke, peering into the different enclosures at the selection of reptiles on offer.

"What about a tortoise?" the holo-technician suggested, wandering away from the reptiles, towards the more fluffy animals. He momentarily observed two bunnies who were nibbling together at their food bowl, before his attention was shifted to a bundle of bedding in the next enclosure, which seemed to be moving on it's own. Curious, he bent down to look into it, watching the various materials shift under his gaze, until he was greeted by a tiny nose which twitched a few times before venture out into the world. The nose belonged to a brown and white hamster, who seemed oblivious to his presence as it stumbled out of it's sleeping hole to quench it's thirst at the water bottle, secured to it's home. It only seemed to notice him when it began making it's way towards it's food dish, taking a detour to come closer to the glass that separated them, curious about the man who decided to pay them a visit. Elliott couldn't help but smile as the small animal got to it's hind legs, it's beady black eyes meeting his brown ones, as it placed it's two front paws against the glass, as if it was trying to get a better look at him. Elliott returned the gesture by gently placing the tip of his finger against the glass too, receiving a curious nose twitch in return.

"I don't think I know enough about reptiles to get one right now" Octavio sighed, making his way towards his boyfriend. "Let's just go check out the goldfish or something."

Elliott swept the curls out of his hair as he stood with the intention of following his partner, but couldn't help but look back at the tiny mammal who was still tracking his movements.

"Come on, Elliott. Ràpido."

"What about them?" he said, pointing back to the rodent.

The runner titled his head, with an interested glance.

"A hamster?"

"Yeah. I mean...it ticks all the boxes, right? And...Oh, I think I might love them" the trickster said fondly, stooping back down to watch the animal get to work on it's running wheel.

"Damn, they're really going at it, huh?" Octavio spoke, as he joined him, sounding mildly impressed.

"God, they're so fucking adorable" Elliott hummed.

"They're pretty fast too. Look at them go!" the runner chimed in.

"Imagine how fast they'd be if we got them one of those ball things they can go inside."

"Yeah…That does sound pretty awesome".

"So…?"

"Hell yeah! This is the best day ever!" Octavio laughed, almost barging down their apartment door, as he dashed inside excitedly.

"Hey, hey by careful!" Elliott called after him, stumbling behind him with a large box, which he placed on the living room floor.

"I wanna put him in the ball now! Time to be free, tiny amigo!"

"Tav, wait! We haven't even set up his house yet!" the trickster chuckled, beginning to unpack the items they'd purchased.

Octavio had been physically bouncing with excitement the whole time they were speaking with the clerk about getting a hamster, before deciding it was the right choice for them. After ensuring they had the necessities correct, found out the hamster's gender, and had purchased a few extras that Octavio had picked out, they were happy to return home with their new companion. The runner had decided to take the animal out of the box they'd taken him home in, gently setting the hamster on his knee as he sat on the couch. He ran a finger through his fur, as he watched Elliott get his tools out to put together the cabinet and enclosure combo they'd gotten for the living room.

"He actually seems pretty chilled" the speedster commented, grinning to himself as the hamster moved around his leg, exploring his surroundings. "I've never had a pet before. This is so awesome!"

"Well, I figure you deserve it after the telling off you gave the overheads" the trickster replied, smiling at him. "But, remember, just because he's small doesn't mean he's not a big responsibility."

"I know but that doesn't mean we can't have fun with him!" Octavio responded, taking out his phone to snap a couple of pictures, some of his new pet and some of his partner setting everything up. "You see that, little amigo?" he asked, smiling as the small animal twitched it's nose at his phone screen. "Your dad's a real sexy handyman."

"Dad?" Elliott laughed. "Does this mean I can start expecting cards and gifts on Father's Day?"

Octavio joined in with the laughing.

"To my awesome dad. Thanks for setting up my cool new home. Lot's of love from your hamster son...Uh...What are we gonna call him?"

The trickster absentmindedly ran a hand over his beard as he thought about it, finishing up his building task.

"Hmm...I don't know actually. Why don't you pick something?"

"He needs a good name" Octavio mused. "Hmm...he's pretty small. Micro...Hmm...What about...Mica?"

"I like that" Elliott said, moving to sit on the couch next to them, wrapping an arm around his partner's shoulders.

"Yeah, me too!" the runner agreed. "Well. That's it then!...Welcome to the family, Mica!"


	15. The Witts

{Note: This was written before the lore we received about Mirage's mom. There's more to come on her}

Octavio drummed his fingers on the metal of his leg, keeping time to the song that was playing on the radio. His other hand rested contently on his partner's thigh as he drove them down the highway. Elliott's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, his attention unwavered from the road in front of them. This had been the second occasion where he'd insisted on driving them out of the city himself, seemingly ignoring the fact that this journey could easily last a couple of hours, depending on traffic. It wasn't exactly the vacation the speedster had in mind but after everything that had happened over the last few weeks, the trickster decided he really wanted to go home and pay his mother a long overdue visit. Octavio had been disappointed at first, thinking he'd have to spend their time off alone, until Elliott had requested he come with him. It seemed like a good idea at first but the more Octavio thought about it, the more concerned he became. What if Elliott's mom didn't like him? From what he'd been told she seemed like a nice, caring woman, who was extremely passionate about her family and her work. All good qualities in the right context but it could easily work against him in this situation if she deemed him unworthy of her son's affections. Impressing people's parents wasn't exactly Octavio's specialty, if the friendships he'd formed in his teenage years were anything to go by.

"Are we almost there yet?" the runner asked. He was bored and no amount of music or attempts to coax his boyfriend into playing another round of eye-spy seemed to rectify that.

"Just a little further" his partner told him. "We should be coming up on my old school soon."

"Oh, yeah? Should we stop by and kick your old teacher's ass for giving you detention all the time?"

A small laugh escaped the tricktster.

"Y'know they contacted my mom a few times, asking if I'd come in and talk to the kids. Like I was some model student or something."

"I guess that's what happens when you're a local celebrity" Octavio said, patting his lover's thigh sympathetically, receiving a quiet hum in response.

They continued their journey through the small town, most of which seemed derelict, save for the occasional store or small business that appeared to still be thriving somehow. Elliott pointed out a couple of landmarks along the way, including the garage where he'd be offered his first mechanic's job after he'd graduated highschool, the bar where he was trained in bartending and his old favourite eating spots, most of which had since closed. They eventually made their way outside the town, following the route of a quiet street to a more rural area that only seemed to have a couple houses scattered about. They slowed to a stop outside a modest looking house, that underwent a couple of extensions in its time and was in pretty bad need of a paint job.

"Well, here we are" Elliott announced. "Home sweet home."

"Is uh, your mom here right now or is she still at work?"

The trickster smiled warmly at his boyfriend.

"She's here. You're not nervous, are you?"

"No! Of course I'm not!" the speedster spluttered, his cheeks tinting slightly. "I just...was wondering if she'd mind if we brought Mica inside now."

"Aren't you just the politest little thing" Elliott smirked, unclipping his seatbelt and turning around to look at the travel cage in the backseat. "She won't mind at all. Little guy didn't stir the whole time. He'll probably be starving when he wakes up."

Octavio drummed his fingers against the plastic base of the hamster cage, as Elliott inserted his keys into the front door, letting them into the house.

"Mom?" he called out, as they stepped into the front hall and traversed into the living room. "We're here."

"I'm in the kitchen!" a woman's voice called back to them, the sound building in volume as she joined them in the living room. She scraped her sandy brown hair into messy ponytail, tucking some stray strands behind her ear. "I wasn't expecting you for another hour! I haven't even gotten changed."

She gestured to her oil stained jeans and baggy t-shirt, which got a small laugh from her son.

"I don't think anyone here cares."

"Good", she chuckled. "Because I don't think I care either. Come here."

Elliott let out a contented sigh as he was pulled into a warm hug, the smell of his mother's familiar perfume filling his senses.

"I've missed you, mom."

"I've missed you too, honey."

She took the trickster's chin in her hand as they parted.

"You've lost weight."

"Mom! I think we've got more important things to worry about, right now" Elliott smiled shyly, gesturing to his partner who was idling awkwardly behind him. "Mom, this is Octavio."

He pried the hamster cage from his lover's grasp and set it on a nearby end table, while the speedster rubbed his sweaty palms on his shorts, preparing himself for a handshake. Instead, he too was pulled into a hug, a gesture he was surprised by at first but graciously accepted.

"It's nice to finally meet you! I'm Maria" he was told, as he was given a gentle pat on the back. "It's good to see Ell was able to get you here in one piece."

"I'm not that bad of a driver!" her son protested, while his mother and boyfriend laughed at his expense.

"You two must be starving,'' Maria said, beckoning towards the kitchen. "I'm so sorry to be such a terrible host, Octavio. Elliott, would you give me a hand to get dinner started?"

"Oh, yeah. Sure!" the trickster said, quickly turning to his partner before following his mother. "Babe, why don't make sure Mica has everything he needs for when he wakes up? I'll be back in a few."

Octavio nodded dumbly, as he watched the Witts disappear into the next room, breathing a sigh of relief, as he turned to attend to his pet. He needed a moment to pull himself together, and hopefully get rid of the uneasy feeling that had settled in the pit of his stomach.

"So, what's on the menu? Pork chops?" Elliott asked hopefully, the smile on his face quickly fading when he noticed the look his mother was giving him, like she was searching him for something. Her worn hands rested flat against the kitchen island, as if she was preparing herself for the conversation they were about to have.

"Mom?" he asked, quietly. "What's wrong?"

"When were you going to tell me?"

Elliott looked at his mother, confused. Her attention remained on the chips in the granite surface in front of her, ignoring her son's gaze which lingered on her.

"About w-what? The hamster? I-".

"About your little trip to the medical bay."

The trickster opened his mouth to speak, closing it again when no words came out, the action getting a small laugh from his mother.

"You know you always do that when you're trying to figure out how to lie to me?"

Realising he was now backed into a corner, Elliott slumped back against the counter, folding his arms over his chest.

"How did y-you find out about th-that?"

His mother took a tentative step towards him, resting both hands on the barrier the trickster had formed.

"I'm your mother. Nothing gets past me."

"I just...didn't want to w-worry to you. It...wasn't th-that bad."

Maria patted his arms gently.

"You're my only son, Elliott. I'm going to worry about you, regardless."

The comment caused him to jerk away involuntarily.

"I'm n-not your...only son."

"You know what I mean" she said, with a sigh, brushing her hair away from her eyes.

"There's so much for us to catch up on" his mother continued, as she began rummaging through the fridge for dinner supplies.

"Like what?"

"Do you remember the Carmichaels?"

Elliott nodded his head, getting to work, peeling and chopping the assortment of vegetables he was given.

"Yeah. What about them?"

"Their youngest daughter applied for an internship at work. She told me that her mother was going to look into getting a memorial plaque for her store. For Warren and Kiara."

"That's nice" the trickster said, discarding the vegetable peelings into the trash can. "Warren was a good guy. We had chemistry together in highschool."

"Yeah. It is" Maria sighed, getting to work at the stove. "I was thinking we might-".

"No."

"You just agreed it was a nice idea!"

"Yeah! M-maybe for them!" Elliott replied, slicing into a potato with more force than was necessary. "Why would we want one of th-those? Do you know how pissed Aaron would be if he came b-back here and we've got his name on a fucking plaque?"

"Elliott...Honey…".

The trickster swept a hand through his hair, forcing his tone to be more gentle.

"I just...Don't think it's a good idea."

"Okay,'' his mother breathed. "I just thought I'd suggest it."

"So, tell me about Octavio" she enquired, attempting to lighten the mood. Her heart warming at the sight of her son's expression change from a scowl to a bright grin, at just the mention of the name.

"You know how we met, what he does and that he's moved in."

"I still feel like I know nothing about him! What does he like? Any allergies? Skeletons in his closet?"

"Why don't you just ask him yourself?" Elliott chuckled. "He's laid back. Easy to talk to. I think you'll like him."

"Well, I suppose he can't be any worse than the last one" she mused, a bitter tinge to her voice. "Do you know her mother still tries to talk to me at-"

"Mom. Please."

"Alright. We won't speak of 'she who must not be named' anymore."

"Tav's different" Elliott told her. "I think...he's the real deal. He's good to me."

"And that's all that matters" his mother hummed, following it up with a chuckle. "Should I go buy a new hat?"

The trickster smiled at her.

"Not yet but, if anything does happen, you'll be the first to know."

"I damn well better be!"

* * *

"How's Mica doing?" Elliott asked, as he slid into a seat at the dining table, next to his partner.

"Good, I think. He went on his wheel for a bit and now he's just chilling" the runner replied, his attention being drawn to the smell of good food, as Maria entered the room, delivering two hefty plates of pork chops, potatoes and vegetables, in front of them before leaving again and returning with one for herself.

"I hope you boys are hungry."

"I'm starving" Octavio admitted.

His mouth had practically been watering the whole time Elliott and his mother had been cooking in the kitchen, even finding himself becoming jealous of his pet who happily nibbled on a sunflower seed, while he waited.

"I hope my sponsors don't hear about this" the trickster said, sighly contently as he tucked into his meal.

The group ate in silence for some time before Maria decided to speak.

"So, Octavio, I hope you don't mind me asking but you're not from around here, are you? The accent kind of gives you away."

Octavio swallowed harshly, his mouth full of delicious food. It was starting to become clear to him where his boyfriend had gotten his skills in the kitchen from.

"I'm from Psamathe, originally. I, uh, moved here to compete."

"Oh, that's exciting," she replied. "I hear it's a beautiful planet."

"It is!" the runner piped up. "We've got the best beaches in whole galaxy! And if you go far enough west, some cool places to go skiing."

"Do you ever find yourself missing it?"

Octavio considered the question. He hadn't really thought about it before.

"I guess. Sometimes. But, all my friends are on Solace so…".

Maria eyed him sympathetically.

"No family?"

The speedster used his fork to poke at his food, absentmindedly.

"My parents are there but...Our relationship isn't the best."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Is it because of the games?"

"That and...They were pretty mad I didn't want to take over the family business."

The woman hummed thoughtfully, as she sipped her water.

"I think I can understand that. I had hopes that Elliott might take over my shop but sometimes you have to let little birds fly. Was it a trade you weren't interested in?"

"Uhhhh. I guess you could say that" Octavio rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "It was more...business, than trade. My, um, parents are the heads of Silva Pharmaceuticals."

Maria almost choked on her food, her eyes growing wide.

"What?! But that means...You're rich!"

"Mom!" Elliott intervened, noticing his partner's cheeks flush a shade of pink.

"God, I'm...sorry. I just can't believe I never made the connection" she spoke, shooting her son a pointed glare, who merely shrugged at the gesture.

"I kinda...p-prefer if people don't make the connection" Octavio admitted. "I don't...really use their money anymore. I prefer to make my own way now."

"Well, that's...very admirable", Ms Witt replied, taking another sip of her water to quell the itch in her throat.

They continued their meal with lighter conversation. Octavio noted Maria's confession that she very rarely watched the games but kept up with them through the news, occasionally watching a highlight reel if she heard her son had done particularly well. Apparently, she did not enjoy watching her son be shot at, which was something the runner could relate to. Despite not being a regular viewer of the games, she inquired about how their fellow legends were doing, making particular reference to Pathfinder, Wraith and Gibraltar, but spoke of them like they were her son's friends and not his teammates or competitors. However, Octavio's favourite thing about her was how she spoke of his partner so lovingly.

"One of the few times I did tune in to a whole game, was when I was looking for examples of my work to show a potential investor. So, I decide, who better to show off my custom holo-gear than my own son, right? I invite them to watch the game with me, and what do I see?"

Elliott audibly groaned, causing his mother to smirk as she continued her story.

"The first time they show him on screen he's standing on top of a roof, using his decoy to flip someone off as they're trying to shoot at him."

"That sounds like him" Octavio laughed, which received another groan from his boyfriend.

"That was ages ago! I was young and stupid!"

"It was last year!" Maria responded, as she and speedster continued to laugh.

"You must have more embarrassing stories than that" Octavio spoke, receiving a smirk from the woman.

"I'll trade with you."

"No! Let's _not_ do that!" Elliott interjected. "I didn't introduce you two, so you could gang up on me!"

Octavio wasn't sure what at what point they'd all moved back to the living room and had gathered on the sofa to look through a series of scrapbooks, Elliott's mom had pulled out. He couldn't help but notice how some pages had photos missing but decided it was best not to question it. Octavio wasn't sure if his parents even had baby pictures of him, and here Maria was, proudly displaying her collection like it was made of gold.

"Oh, look. That's your first day of elementary school" she said, pointing to a picture of four boys, with their arms slung over each other, backpacks discarded at their feet. Elliott pointed to the child in the middle, squinting at the mop of curls on his head.

"Why did you let me walk around with hair like that?! And what the hell is Lucas wearing? Are those dungarees?"

"They were cute! He loved them!" his mother chuckled. "And you, you little monster, would never let anyone touch your hair to cut it."

"Some things never change, I see" Octavio chimed in, which received a quiet laugh from the woman.

"Hey, I've got my guy now. He cuts it right" Elliott added, thumbing through the pages.

The photos seemed to become more and more sparse, the older he got.

"Wait, don't skip those" his mother protested. "That's Kyle's 18th birthday party. And there's your 21st."

"I'm skipping them on purpose because I know the story you're going to tell" her son mumbled, which caused Maria to smirk.

"Oh, thank you for reminding me."

"What's the story?" Octavio asked apprehensively, though he relaxed slightly upon noticing the small smile on his lover's face, despite dramatically rolling his eyes.

"I'll save us all some time," Elliott said. "I was working the night of my birthday so me, Lucas and Kyle decided we'd just go and watch our buddy Brandon's soccer game and the story ends with me missing work because we didn't get home until 5 AM the next day, drunk and wasted out of our minds."

"And with me having to get a new rug for the living room" Maria added with a chuckle, her eyes lingered on the pages of the scrapbook, with a reminiscent look, before turning to gaze at her son sat next to her. Their eyes seemed to meet momentarily, until Elliott closed the book and passed it back to her, wordlessly deciding they'd seen enough.

* * *

Octavio reflected back on the evening as he stood in the bathroom, brushing his teeth in front of the mirror. They'd spent the last few hours eating snacks and watching trashy reality TV shows, laughing at how fake they were while Elliott and his mom cracked open a bottle of cheap wine. It was fun, and Octavio was honestly a little impressed at Ms Witt's wicked sense of humor and carefree spirit, opely pointing out which of the contestants she found attractive and which she wasn't so fond of. He could never in his wildest dreams imagine having a similar conversation with his mother, but it seemed like a totally normally interaction for Elliott and his mom. He couldn't help himself from wondering if this is what other families did. Sit around and actually talk to each other, where the conversation wasn't always hostile or a demand of some sort. He noticed how the paint was flaking off the wall next to the sink and wondered how long it had been that way. What was like to grow up somewhere where actually trying to be a functioning family was priority, and not just keeping up the appearance of one? Octavio didn't know the answer to that. The thought continued to play on his mind as he wandered back down the hall, finding his boyfriend in his old bedroom. He was sat cross-legged on the bed, holding some sort of metal cube in his hands.

"Am I interrupting something?" he asked, clambering on to the bed to sit next to the trickster. "What is that thing?"

"The first piece of holo-tech I ever made, on my own," Elliott told him, a reminiscent tone to his voice. "It's pretty bad. I don't know why mom still keeps it."

"She seems to like keeping track of your milestones" the speedster responded, the statement coming out much more bitter than he intended but it seemed to go unnoticed by his partner, who set the device on the bedside table and turned it on. It flickered a few times before projecting a map of the frontier above their heads.

"I thought I'd go to all these places once" the trickster said, wistfully. "Now, I don't think I can. Demeter, Troy, Harmony. I heard...Well, I haven't heard good things about the state they were left in after the war."

"I'm sorry" Octavio soothed, laying his head on his partner's shoulder.

"Don't be. It's not like it's your fault" his partner mumbled in response.

"Y'know, there used to be bunk beds in here," Elliott said, as they settled underneath the covers. "I think mom might have decided to spruce the place up and buy a double bed, when I told her about you. But I think she was expecting us to come home a bit sooner than this."

Octavio hummed contently into his lover's chest.

"I had a nice time today. Your mom is really cool and I...liked being able to find out more about your family."

The trickster momentarily stopped breathing and the runner began to fear that he may have said the wrong thing, until his partner let out a weary sigh.

"Yeah, I...guess I haven't really t-told you much about th-them."

The room fell silent after that, and Octavio assumed their discussion was over. He was used to the topic of Elliott's brothers being an abrupt conversation, with him usually catching a snippet of his boyfriend's past here and there, the context of which was often determined by how intoxicated he was at the time. The speedster had almost fallen asleep by the time his partner decided to speak up again.

"Aaron's the oldest. We used to make fun of him because mom had him young. That he was so unexpected that mom just picked the first name in the baby name book and rolled with it. We were all kinda jealous of him, I think. All of the guys wanted to be like him and all of the girls wanted to be with him. And it didn't turn him into an asshole either. He cared about his family and friends. So, when all the shit with the IMC happened he enlisted as soon as he could. He wanted to be a pilot. He would've been a good one. He taught me how to shoot a gun."

"He sounds like a cool guy."

"He is. Was." Elliott sighed. "I don't even know what to...call him anymore."

"What about the others? Tell me about them" Octavio requested quietly, hoping he wasn't pushing his partner too much.

"Lucas...Kinda reminds me of you, sometimes. He had so much energy. Loved a good party. He worked a part-time job and played sports in highschool because sitting around made him bored. We thought it was hilarious when he wanted to get into barbering after school, but he was actually really good at it. He actually suggested I do my hair like this but I...never did it until after he was gone. He gave his boyfriend this sick fade cut one time. He was never interested in politics but I guess, when Leo went he didn't want him to be on his own."

"Who's Leo?"

"That was his p-partner. They were engaged."

Octavio thought about it for a moment.

"What happened to him? Did he…?"

Elliott swallowed thickly.

"I don't know."

"Am I...asking too many questions?" the runner asked, fanning his fingers to allow the trickster to lace their hands together.

"No, it's okay" his partner assured him, his voice faltering slightly as he continued to speak. "I...w-wish I could t-tell you m-more but it's just…".

Octavio squeezed his hand.

"It's okay, amor. I know you're doing your best."

"This was actually me and Kyle's room" Elliott continued. "We shared it for as long as I can remember. I think...we fought the most out of everybody. But still...I sometimes wish we could trade places. He should've stayed home. He was smart. Really smart. He c-could've went to college. He p-probably would've gotten a scholarship or something."

"I'm glad you're here" the runner whispered, the statement causing the trickster to squeeze his hand tighter. "With me."

"I am too. It's just...It...m-messes with my head sometimes. What if there was no "Mirage" and all I was ever known as was "Witt, MIA", because no one was b-bothered to r-remember what m-my first name was."

"I don't want to think about that" Octavio said, snuggling into his partner.

"I know I'm...sorry" the trickster responded, returning the hug. "I'm still trying to figure this "postive mindset" thing out. I...don't know if I'll ever be able to accept it. That they're...just...gone. No b-bodies. No explanation. No...n-nothing. I don't know how mom did it. Being left on her own with four kids and losing...th-three of them. My dad left when I was young. Four kids and he didn't even have the decency to marry her."

The room fell quiet again for a few moments, before Octavio decided it was his turn to break the silence.

"Elliott?"

"Hmm?"

"What was it like?"

He looked at the younger legend, confused, despite barely being able to make out his boyfriend's features in the dark.

"What was what like?"

He heard the runner audibly exhale.

"What was it like to have a family that loved you?"

* * *

Octavio wasn't sure what time it was when he woke up, but he could tell it was late morning. He could feel his partner stir behind him, relaxing back into the trickster's touch as he wrapped a lazy arm around his waist. Despite his boyfriend's arms always being warm and inviting, Octavio couldn't help but be more interested in what was happening further south, as he wiggled his ass against his partner's hips.

"Buenos díos, to me. I haven't woken up to one of these in a while."

Elliott chuckled lowly into his ear.

"I think being in my old room has confused my body and it thinks it's 17 again."

"Lucky for you, I know how to make the best out of these situations" the runner said, a teasing tone to his voice, turning himself around to face his boyfriend.

"You know my mom is just down the hall, right?"

"That sounds like a problem for you, Mr Loudmouth" he taunted. "It'll be like sex on hard mode."

"I'll have to make it up to you some other time," Elliott said, placing a quick peck to the tip of the speedster's nose, before turning over to grab his phone off the bedside table, opening the text he'd received while they were sleeping. "Oh, turns out mom got called into work today for some "tecnical emergency". She said she'll meet us for dinner later."

"Oh. That sucks" Octavio sighed, but his expression quickly changed to a mischievous grin. "Sooo, does that mean sex on easy mode?"

Elliott laughed at the request, pulling the younger legend down for a kiss.

"I suppose it does. Fortunately for you, I'm _very _easy."

After they had finished a late breakfast, Elliott had suggested they go for a walk around the area. Although, as they walked down the quiet street, Octavio noticed that there wasn't very much to see. The string of houses seemed to end quite a while ago and they were now continuing their walk down a rural stretch of road, with nothing but the sound of the birds and each other for company.

"Elliott, where they hell are we going?" he eventually spoke up. "Is this what you used to do for fun around here?"

"Yeah, pretty much" the trickster spoke. "I thought you liked the outdoors."

"I do but...this is...very outdoors."

"Well, it's about to get more "outdoors". I have something to show you."

Elliott lead him a little further before stopping at a specific spot, and inviting the runner to jump over a fence, a trail that seemed to lead into the woods waited on the other side.

"Okay, now this is just getting weird" Octavio said, as Elliott took his hand and began to guide him through the almost fully overgrown pathway. "Can you at least tell me where this goes?"

"Why?" his partner chuckled. "Are you worried that I'm finally going to follow through on my plan to murder the mighty Octane and take his fanbase for my own?"

"I'd like to see you try" the speedster scoffed.

"I'm just kidding" Elliott assured. "It's just a little further this way."

"Ta da!", the trickster announced, as they made their way into a secluded clearing. A mound with a large, but lonely looking, tree stood before them. It was beautiful, like something out of a painting.

"What is this place?" the runner asked, as he looked around at the variety wild bushes and plants that were scattered in various locations around them.

"One of the only spots I can think of that the war didn't get to ruin" Elliott sighed wistfully. "You were asking what I did for fun around here. There wasn't really much for us to do, unless you wanted to make the trek back into town. The young people in the area used to hang out at this abandoned construction site."

"That sounds awesome!" Octavio replied, receiving a small laugh from his companion in response.

"It was dangerous."

"Exactly."

"Anywho," the trickster continued. "When we didn't want to be around too many people, like that, we'd come here. Me and my b-brothers and our...closer friends."

"That's cool. But...there's something I'm still wondering" Octavio said coyly.

"What is it?" Elliott asked cautiously, growing suspicious of his partner's tone.

"I'm wondering whether you'll stand a chance at beating me to the top of that hill!" the runner replied, before dashing away with a cackle, making it to the space underneath the tree in record time. His partner arrived shortly after him, panting softly.

"No, f-fair! You had a head start!"

Octavio flashed his significant other a toothy grin.

"Hey, it's not my fault you can't keep up, amor. Maybe if you...mmph."

His words were lost as he was pushed back against the tree, one hand being pinned above his head, causing the rough bark to scrap against his skin, as a pair of plush lips were pressed against his own. Elliott was eager to get his tongue involved, a gesture Octavio happily accepted, using his free hand to pull his lover closer. When they finally broke apart for air, the trickster had a shy smile on his face.

"I always wanted to do that with someone up here" he admitted, sheepishly.

"I think this place is starting to grow on me" Octavio said, placing his hands on his hips as he looked up to admire the shelter the leaves were providing from the afternoon sun. His hazel eyes eventually shifting to his partner whose attention seemed to be focused on a specific spot on the tree, his fingers grazing across a series of letters etched into the wood. The runner hovered nearby, unsure of what to say, until his lover cleared his throat to speak.

"You know...Anyone who visits here has to sign the guestbook."

Octavio looked at the other man, confused as a penknife was placed into his palm.

"It's kinda like a...family tradition, or whatever," Elliott told him, tilting his head towards the initials sketched into the bark.

There were a few combinations of letters Octavio didn't recognise, his gaze eventually falling on four names in column of their own.

"You can add yours under mine, if you want."

"Are you sure?" the younger legend asked, not wanting to invade something private.

"Hey, I didn't make the rule" Elliott replied with a shrug, giving his boyfriend a reassuring smile.

Octavio simply nodded his head before getting to work, using the knife to carve his own mark as best he could. It took him longer than he'd originally expected, prompting him to take a step back to admire his handiwork when he was done.

_A.W._

_L.W._

_K.W._

_E.W._

_O.S._

"Do you think they would've liked me?" he asked quietly.

"Tav? Look at me, baby."

Octavio slowly turned around to face his partner, eyeing him curiously as he reached inside his coat pocket to retrieve a small parcel before handing it to him.

"What is this?"

"It's...for you", was the only clue his boyfriend gave him, his brown eyes unsure of whether they wanted to look at the younger legend or drift to the grass at his feet.

Octavio quickly undid the wrapping paper, eager to explore the gift he'd been given. His fingers trembled as he open the lid of the small black box he found inside, his breath catching in his throat as his eyes fell on the silver ring inside.

"I don't...I don't understand."

"It's...like...a promise ring" Elliott explained, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I know you're...not really into jewellery besides your piercings but...I just...c-couldn't think of another way to say it."

Octavio looked at the clear and blue stones embedded into the silver band, before looking back to his partner, unable to disguise the sheer adoration in his eyes.

"Say what?"

He allowed the trickster to take his free hand in his own, as he continued to speak.

"I love you, Tav. More than anything. I kept meaning to give you this to try to...I don't know. M-maybe it's dumb but...to make sure you believe me when I say it. I wanted this moment to be perfect, so I kept waiting and waiting, but it never felt like the right time. But...God, Tav. Lying in the medical bay...I th-thought I'd run out of time to do it. All I could th-think about was how...I was going to die and...and you'd never know how much I love you. I've done a lot of shitty things in my life but lying there...that was my only regret."

"Oh, Elliott…".

The speedster almost felt breathless, by his partner's words, as he clutched the box tightly to his chest.

"You don't have to wear it but…I just wanted you to have it".

"Of course, I'm going to wear it, you dummy!" Octavio exclaimed, fumbling with the box and passing it back to his partner. "You put that damn ring on me right now!"

Elliott laughed as he took the piece of jewellery from it's confinement, stuffing the box into his pocket as he effortlessly slid the ring onto his partner's ring finger. A little too effortlessly, for his liking.

"It's too big" he realised, deadpanned. "Goddammit. I knew I'd fuck th-this up somehow!"

"What are you talking about?! It's perfect!" the runner assured him, quickly swapping the ring onto his middle finger instead. "I'll just...wear it like this. It fits! It'll stop the press from asking too many stupid questions and will look way cooler in all my pictures like this."

"I can...p-propbaly get it adjusted" the trickster said, running his thumb over the metal.

"It's perfect" Octavio reiterated. "Really. I love it. Muchísimas gracias, mi amor!"

"It looks so good on you" the Elliott hummed, moving his partner's hand to his face so he could gently place his lips against it.

The speedster remained silent for a few moments, idling toying with the new weight on his finger.

"I've actually been...doing some thinking" he began. "I...had a lot of fun yesterday. Getting to know your mom was amazing. And your family. And...it made me realise how much my own family, really fucking sucks."

"Don't say that! Families are...complicated but-".

Octavio shook his head, cutting his partner off.

"You didn't let me finish. I...When we..._If_ we...get married for real some day...Is it okay if I...take your name?"

Elliott looked at the younger legend stunned, for moment.

"You...W-we have pl-plenty of time to think about th-that!" he stammered. "The idea of being Elliott Silva, doesn't turn me off. You know that, don't you? I don't care who your family is."

"Well, it turns me off" Octavio grumbled. "I just want a family. A _real_ family. One that...just lets me be me. And doesn't hate me for it."

"I would never want you to be anything but you" his partner told him, pulling him into a tight hug. "It doesn't matter what our names are as long as I get to be with you. But...if you really want to be a Witt then...I'd be absolutely honored."

"Me too" Octavio hummed contently into the trickster's chest.

Elliott couldn't stop his eyes from coasting over the freshly made markings in the tree.

"I guess we'll have to come back here and change that someday, huh?" he said, his eyes misting over just slightly as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "And, yeah. I think they would've loved you. I can already tell mom does."

"How could she not? What's not to love?" his boyfriend quipped back, smiling cheekily at his partner. "Now, let's get out of here! I have no cell service and I need to tell Ajay about all this, right now!"

Elliott laughed warmly, as he took his partner's hand in his own and began leading him back down the hill. They made the journey back in comfortable silence, savouring one of the few moments they got to spend together away from the games. Octavio, couldn't stop smiling the whole way, thoroughly enjoying the weight of his partner's fingers on one hand, and the weight of their love on the other.


	16. Moving Day

"Come on, boss. You're worrying about nothing. We'll be fine. And I promise if we somehow manage to set the place on fire, you'll be the first person we call."

Elliott ran a hand through his hair, furrowing his brow at the computer screen in front of him.

"I know, I know. I'm not saying I don't trust you, but it's such short notice that-".

The newly promoted manager of the Paradise Lounge, raised a hand at him, cutting him off.

"That I've been working here for so long, I know the place inside and out, and everything's going to be totally fine and you should hurry up, and get out of here before you miss your ship?"

The trickster laughed quietly, giving the woman who was perched on the other side of his desk a warm smile, before looking around the cramped, dingy office one last time.

"Of course. Everything's gonna be...totally fine."

Octavio looked up from his spot at the bar when he heard the pair emerge from the back office, quickly collecting the pile of torn up beer mats, he'd been fidgeting with, and tossing them into the trash can on the other side of the bar. He couldn't help but shake his head and smile, as his partner continued to talk excessively, much to the amusement of the few staff members that occupied the lounge.

"...And the guy said he'd call before dropping off the new service MVRNs, but it won't be until next week. The new guy starts on Wednesday...What else...If you need anything, and you can't get through to me, call John. And I guess if you're really stuck you can call my mom but she doesn't really-."

"Elliott they're gonna be fine," Octavio attempted to soothe his lover's anxieties, before trying to coax him away. "Come on, amor. I love cutting it close, as much as the next guy but we should really get a move on."

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right," his partner agreed, running a hand over the bartop once more.

"Don't embarrass us, out there boss!" one of his employees jokingly called after him. "We'll be watching!"

"Do you want to take a picture of the place, to have as a momento?" the runner suggested, taking his phone out of his pocket, as they made their way outside the bar.

He noticed the forlorn look in his partner's eyes as they looked up at the neon lights that spelled "Paradise", the typically bright pink sign appearing dimmer in the afternoon sun. The trickster shrugged, nonchalantly.

"It's fine. I've got good memories of this place. And it's not like we're gonna be gone forever, right?"

"I've got good memories too," Octavio agreed, snaking his arms around his lover's waist. "Maybe I can make a special request that we get an ice bucket and champagne sent to our new room."

The trickster chuckled at the idea.

"Huh. Suddenly moving to Talos doesn't seem so bad."

* * *

"Yeah, I know that...Right. Yeah, they kinda just sprung it on us out of nowhere. I thought I'd get home to visit before but...Y-yeah. But...You'll still keep up with things, r-right? I don't know how often I'll be able to call. I guess I'll just have to see what the service is like out there."

Octavio tapped on his chin thoughtfully, scanning the various items in his travel case to make sure he had all the essentials, only half absorbing the phone conversation his partner was having in the background. He needed to make sure he had all the important things for the journey. Gaming stuff, phone charger, a spare t-shirt or two, pain medication, toothbrush, headphones, snacks, notebook and pens. The essentials.

"Babe! Mom wants to talk to you!"

He looked back to his boyfriend who was holding his phone to his chest, in an attempt to spare his mother's ears as he called out the younger legend.

"She...does?"

"Yeah. Come 'ere."

The runner tentatively walked towards him, taking the phone and holding it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Octavio. How are you? Looking forward to this trip, I'll bet."

The fact that Elliott's mother had requested to even speak to him was a surprise, but what really shocked him was how happy she sounded to hear from him. He hopped up to sit on the counter top, eyes flicking to his partner, as if asking for permission to have the conversation, before continuing. He couldn't help but notice how the trickster continued to linger in his space, obviously eager to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Erm, yeah. Yeah, I am! It's always cool to get to visit somewhere new."

"I'm almost jealous," she chuckled. "But, remember I'm depending on you to keep an eye on my baby."

"Mom! I'm not a baby!" her son protested, which received a smirk from his lover.

"I think he does a better job of keeping me out of trouble" Octavio responded coyly, grinning at the warm laugh he received from the other end of the phone.

"You've changed him," she sighed wistfully. "But that's a story for when you boys get back. Have fun and be careful, alright? You don't want to go picking up any weird colds or flus."

"Will do! Bye Maria."

"Bye, sweetie. Talk soon."

The runner handed the phone back to his partner, and went to continue packing his bags, idly, listening in to the rest of the conversation as he did so.

"Well, I'll try and call as often as I can but we kinda need to get going soon so...Yes mom, I got my flu shot...I did! I swear! Okay...Yeah, I know...Love you too. Bye."

"Do you think I've got enough scarves? How cold do you think it's gonna be out there?" Elliott pondered, taking one last look into his suitcase, on the bed.

"I don't think it's gonna be so cold that you need thirteen different scarves," Octavio quipped back, zipping his luggage up.

"You're right. Thirteen is unlucky. I'll take fourteen."

The trip to the loading bay didn't take too long, and the area was already buzzing with activity as legends and fledglings alike, were ticked off various lists and escorted to their respective ships.

"Sucks to be those guys" Octavio gestured his head towards the large group of lesser known competitors, who were being herded onto a much smaller aircraft, as he carefully tried to balance the hamster cage in his hands. Elliott followed him up the ramp to the legend's ship, with their bags in tow.

"I've been on it. It ain't fun, let me tell you."

The area inside the ship was dimly lit, causing both men to momentarily squint as their eyes adjusted from the light of the evening sun, to the sudden dullness. The space was divided into somewhat private living spaces, one for each legend. Elliott turned in a slow circle, trying to find what rooms they'd been assigned to.

"Looks like I'm over there. Guess it was too much to ask, that they might put us next to each other."

"Wait...But if I'm not next to you, then who am I next to?" the runner mused, his features lighting up at the realisation of his new situation.

"Oh, this trip has suddenly become so much more interesting."

"Hey, amigo! Check it out it. The party's here!" Octavio called out, as he dumped his bag and deposited the cage onto the floor of his new living quarters, before poking his head around the separating wall between his room and the one next to him. "Looks like we're neighbours on this trip, hombre! Pretty sweet, eh?"

Caustic kept his eyes firmly on his book, not wanting to give the younger legend the satisfaction of acknowledging his presence, as he spoke.

"A most unfortunate turn of events, but apparently, an unavoidable one."

"Don't say that! We can keep each other company!" the speedster continued his attempt to vex the scientist. "But keep your hands to yourself, compadre. I'm a taken man."

"A generous description for you," the chemist remarked, a disgruntled noise escaping him, upon realising the runner had perched himself on his desk, shuffling some of his notes about in the process.

"What is it that you want, Octavio?"

"Your riveting company?" Octavio replied playfully. "You know, I like what you've done with the place so far, amigo. Maybe I'll hang out here more often."

He began to lay back against the surface of the desk, as if to emphasize his point, but collided with something in the process. He startled when an offended "squak" emitted from behind him, prompting him to turn around to inspect the source. He was met by a pair of sterling eyes, as a grey bird stared back at him.

"What the hell is that thing?!"

"For most people, it would be fairly obvious that it is a bird."

Octavio forced himself to sit upright again, glowering at the older man.

"Well you better keep it away from Mica. He's not a snack!"

The scientist cooed lovingly at the feathered being momentarily, then refocused his attention to his guest.

"African grey parrots are herbivores," Caustic informed him. "I would advise you and that pitiful rat you are so fond of, to respect the perimeters between our quarters in future. Maxine may not enjoy the thrill of hunting prey but, I can not say I would be so generous. Now, if you would be so kind to leave, I have work to do."

* * *

It was later that evening, when Octavio finally finished setting up his stuff, he made his way over to his boyfriend's space. What he didn't expect to find was Natalie sitting on the end of the trickster's sofa bed, with two of his scarfs wrapped around her head, covering her ears.

"What...Is there a fancy dress party that nobody told me about?"

The blonde woman greeted him with a warm smile.

"OH! HI OCTAVIO! ARE YOU ENJOYING THE FLIGHT?"

The runner was taken back slightly, by the outburst.

"Why are we yelling?"

"Pardon?"

"I SAID, WHY ARE WE YELLING?!

"WHO'S YELLING?"

"YOU ARE, AMIGA!"

The electrician's hands quickly fumbled to peel some of the fabric away from one of her ears, while she let out an embarrassed laugh.

"Oh, sorry! It's...I'm not used to being around so many people at once, and the constant noise was...A little overwhelming. Elliott thought these might help."

She began to remove the scarves, only to be stopped by the trickster.

"Hey, if they're helping, you keep 'em."

The younger woman blushed profusely, offering him a quiet "merci" before standing up to give the two men a moment alone.

"And you said I wouldn't need extras" he teased, only to receive a rude gesture from his partner in response.

"Give us some privacy, will you, babe?" Elliott requested, nodding towards the curtain that could be pulled across the front of the living space, offering them a respite from any prying eyes. A particular pair of said eyes, had been playing on the holo-technician's mind, since they boarded. He greeted his lover with a sweet kiss, as he collapsed onto the bed.

"Did you see the new guy?" he asked, lowering his voice.

"I've seen the back of his head," Octavio mocked in response. "I don't think he's taken his eye off that computer since he got here."

"He gave me this...Look earlier. Like he already knew who I was, or something."

"Maybe he's a fan?" the runner suggested, which caused the trickster to scoff.

"He doesn't look the type to be a fan of mine."

He said the words dejectedly, but Octavio noticed the sudden sparkle in his eyes, as he began to rummage under the bed, retrieving a cardboard box which he settled between them.

"But, hey! Look what security dropped off. Apparently there were some fans at the gates, who thought they might get to see some us before we departed. One of the PAs picked all this up for me."

"What is it?" the younger legend asked, peering into the box full of paper and cards.

"It's mostly art. Of me!" the trickster chuckled, watching gleefully as his partner began to look through the collection.

"Whoa. This is awesome! We should hang it up!"

"Yeah, maybe." Elliott agreed. "Might make the place feel more...homely."

Octavio lay awake that night, looking over the various artwork and notes that had been sent to his boyfriend, and suddenly felt extremely lucky to be the one who got to be by his side. Even if he was mumbling in his sleep and taking up most of the space in the single bed they were sharing. He couldn't refuse the offer of spending the night in Elliott's quarters, especially after the trickster had lured him in with those brown puppy dog eyes, that you'd have to be some sort of monster to say no to. He appeared upset about something but claimed that flying for long periods gave him headaches. Octavio didn't quite believe him, especially after trickster had practically begged him not to leave him alone, and Octavio just couldn't refuse. Even if it meant missing out on precious hours of sleep as he lay at an uncomfortable angle. Deciding sleep was a lost cause at this point, Octavio slipped out from under his boyfriend's arm and into the cold of the ship, pattering across to his own living station. Everyone else seemed to be sleeping, except for Wraith, Caustic and Gibraltar, with only the latter acknowledging him with a weak smile. He appeared to be hunched over the series of photographs, a moment the runner felt best not to disturb. He stooped down next to his suitcase and rifled through the contents, pulling out his notebook and pens before making haste back to the warmth of his partner's bed. He tapped his pen lightly on the page, before etching out a few quick doodles but nothing he felt entirely satisfied with. He ran his tongue over his lips, peering around the room for inspiration, his gaze settling on the art they'd pinned to the walls earlier. Maybe he could add a few things of his own. No one was a bigger fan than him after all. He took a few moments to consider what he could create, that might make his boyfriend feel a little better. He made careful lines on the paper, making sure he had spelled the words correctly before swiping Elliott's beard trimming scissors from the nearby cabinet and steadily cut the letters out. He shuffled himself down the bed, stopping in front of the mirror on the wall. He proudly observed his handiwork, after he'd taped some letters to the glass to spell out "hey good lookin'", adding some notes of encouragement and decorative hearts for good measure.

However, before he could go completely overboard with his art session, he was startled by flashing lights and some sort of siren blaring overhead.

"Approaching dropzone in 60 minutes. All legends should prepare themselves immediately." The intrusion seemed to have a similar impact on his fellow legends, as there was some annoyed grumbling from the other inhabitants of the ship. The situation seemed to have no impact on his boyfriend, who was still mumbling to himself in his sleep, oblivious to the commotion happening around him. Octavio crawled towards his sleeping form, and began raking his fingers through his curls, prompting the trickster to stir.

"Buenos días, mi alma."

Elliott rubbed at his eyes as he awoke, attempting to speak through a jaw-cracking yawn.

"Did we w-win?"

"Win what, amor?"

"The soapbox derby."

"I think you were just dreaming. I haven't seen any soapboxes around here lately," the runner chuckled, watching as his lover's eyes began to droop again. "But you won't be winning anything if you don't get up. Drop's in sixty."

"W-wait. There's...a game today?" Elliott asked, more alert now. "I thought we were going straight to the new compound or whatever."

"There must have been a change of plan" Octavio replied, allowing his partner to pull him down onto the bed and into his arms.

"Five more minutes" Elliott mumbled into his hair. "I just want some time with you before we have to go out there."

"I won't argue with that," the younger legend replied, burying his nose into his boyfriend's t-shirt. "Especially when you smell this good. What is that?"

"I...think...that's just sweat actually," the trickster admitted, self-consciously shuffling his weight around, only to be pulled closer by his partner.

"Mmm...Testosterone. My favourite."

Octavio couldn't help but giggle as he was suddenly flipped over and gently pinned to the bed, as his face was peppered with kisses.

"You're such a weirdo," Elliott said playfully, brushing his hair out of his face as he pulled away and hauled himself over to the mirror to inspect his appearance.

"I can't believe we have a game right now! I probably look like…".

He stopped, lost for words, as his eyes landed on the glass surface, his features softening as he looked back to his partner, who was watching him expectantly.

"Did...did you do this?"

"Maybe," Octavio replied, a teasing tone to his voice. "I _am _your number one fan."

Elliott laughed warmly, leaning over to place a lingering kiss on his partner's lips.

"You are so adorable" he said, his cheeks tinting slightly, as he looked back at the mirror. "Now, get that cute little ass out of my bed. We need to get ready."

* * *

"Ugh, my feet are killing me," Elliott said, as he unlocked the door to their new home, immediately kicking off his boots with a satisfied sigh.

"Oh, yeah. Mine too." Octavio chortled, following his partner inside, receiving an amused look from his partner.

He placed his hands on his hips as he surveyed the apartment.

"Wow. This...sucks."

"Yeah, it...kind of does," the trickster agreed, as his eyes flicked around the room.

It felt dull and dreary, the small windows and grey walls doing little to make the place feel more uplifting. It was almost clinical, lacking the inviting warmth and colourful atmosphere of their old home. There has been some disgruntled noises from some of the other legends when they were all loaded onto a bus, after the game and transported to the new compound. It appeared to be an old military building, with some new infrastructure added on top to serve as the living quarters for competitors. It was fairly close to the new arena, which seemed to loom over the horizon, making it difficult to escape from the events of the game and unwind. Ajay and Anita had berated the complainers, telling them to "suck it up" and none of them really knew what true discomfort was.

"It's kind of...cold" the runner admitted, rubbing at the goosebumps that had formed along his arms. "Is there a thermostat or something in here?"

He followed his partner into the small kitchen space, looking around for inspiration, until Elliott ran his hand along the countertop looking dejected.

"Is this...a camping hob? How are we meant to cook anything...good?"

He swept a hand through his hair, letting out a quiet, unamused laugh.

"Wow, I sound super entitled, right now."

"No. This place blows" Octavio agreed, his body suddenly shaking with a shiver. "I need to put on a hoodie, I think."

He shucked off his tactical vest as he walked back to the front door where their luggage had been dropped off, muttering to himself under his breath as his eyes scanned over the bags, realising his own was missing.

"Mierda, my bag's not here!"

"Really?" Elliott asked, finishing the removal of his holo-gear before joining him, to inspect the situation. "Maybe it got mixed up with someone else's?"

"No...No, it couldn't have. Mine's clearly marked as...Fuck! Elliott, where's Mica?! He was with my stuff on the ship!"

"I'm sure this is all some misunderstanding" the trickster assured him. "Call downstairs. They can't have misplaced something as obvious as a hamster cage."

"They better not have, or I'll tear this whole building apart until I find him!" Octavio declared, as he fished his phone from his pocket. His leg bopped up and down uncontrollably as he dialed the number he needed and sat down on the couch to take the call. Even the soothing circles that were rubbed into his back as Elliott draped one of his own hoodies over his shoulders didn't help. He couldn't escape the feeling that this place was about to get so much worse.

"Hello? Hi, yeah...This is Octane. I'm just wondering where the hell my bags are and also I'm missing my pet? What's going on here?"

Elliott strained himself to listen to the conversation, an unsettling feeling pooling in his stomach as he watched his boyfriend's eyebrows furrow at the information he was receiving from the other end of the phone.

"But that's ridiculous! They know I don't use my own my room. They've been delivering all my mail to Mirage's place forever, now! It makes no sense that they're trying to kick me out now!"

"What?!" Elliott gasped, watching wide-eyed as his partner fumbled to put the phone call on loudspeaker.

"...they let it slide before because it wasn't causing any problems. Technically, you're listed as having your own residence because you never filled out the appropriate paperwork to make your move official on the system. Security is being upped this time around, until we know we're secure after the attack on King's Canyon. Which means, all competitors are required to be in their own dorms after curfew, and visiting is being monitored until further notice."

"Curfew?!"

"Yes. All of your belongings have been delivered to your home. Not Mirage's."

"Well...Just let me fill out paperwork, then!" Octavio protested. "I'm not going anywhere."

"You can fill it out now, if you'd like, but unfortunately it won't be processed for a few weeks."

"A few weeks?!"

"Our team has more immediate problems to attend to than domestic matters, as I'm sure you can understand. This was all going to be explained to everyone at orientation tomorrow. I would get yourself to your room and get settled, Mr Silva. It says here you've been selected as one of the legends involved in the promotional material for this season."

"But-."

"Security will be assigned to the halls shortly. Have a good night."

"I can't believe this!" Octavio exclaimed, as he hung up the call. "What is this...prison?!"

"It's starting to feel like it" Elliott replied, taking his partner's hand in his own, running his thumb over the silver band on the runner's finger. "I guess I'll...walk you to your room then."

* * *

Octavio stumbled into his apartment, tearing his mask off his face and discarding it to the floor, as he kicked the door shut behind him. He'd been living apart from Elliott for almost a month now, and it still felt unnatural to come home to an empty apartment. He tossed another food container from the canteen onto the steadily increasing pile on the kitchen counter. Scrubbing a hand through his sweaty hair, he made his way into the bedroom, looking through the notifications that had accumulated on his phone, several of them being "are you home yet?" and "call me" texts from his boyfriend. The promotional work for the games had kept him busy, having to spend hours in the arena, most days, reshooting to get the perfect shot, or attending meetings about merch or future locations on the map, designed by him, since Octane's Gauntlet was such a hit with the viewers. He was also expected to continue competing alongside all this. It meant he often arrived home feeling utterly exhausted, with aching muscles and limited free time. It also meant that he and Elliott had barely seen each other, despite only being two floors apart. Their relationship had been limited to quick chats on the drop ship, video calls at night and the occasional fleeting visit before curfew. But yet, Octavio was having the most fun he'd had in months. Having a new arena to explore was exciting and he felt like his possibilities for stunts were limitless. His fans were constantly anticipating what he might do next, and his following had grown astronomically. He felt good. Tired, but good. He collapsed back onto his bed with a groan, laying his phone on his chest, using both hands to rub at the ache in his thighs. He'd call Elliott back soon. He just needed to rest his eyes for a second.

Octavio awoke with a start, his phone eagerly vibrating against his skin. He rubbed at his eyes as he picked up the call, not bothering to open his eyes to see who the caller was. He assumed it was Elliott, who was either calling to tell him about a dream he had or calling because he was upset with him for not calling last night.

"Hey, amor," he greeted, his voice slightly husky, with sleep. "Sorry, I forgot to call but yesterday really kicked my ass and-."

"Hello? Mr Silva?"

The sound of a female voice caused his breath to catch in his throat. He forced himself to sit up, sweeping his fringe out of his eyes.

"Yeah?"

"Hi. Good afternoon. I hope I'm not disturbing you."

"No, no. I, uh... have been awake for hours!"

He swore he could hear a small chuckle from the woman.

"Of course. I'm just calling to let you know that your application to move has been accepted. Are you still interested in changing your residency to cohabitating with Elliott Witt?"

"Hell yeah, I am!" he exclaimed, jumping off the bed.

"Fabulous. I'll swap your details over right away."

Octavio hung up the call, throwing his phone onto the bed with a flourish. He quickly got changed out of his game outfit, stuffing his belongings into a bag as he did so, and dashed into the living room, stopping to peer into the hamster cage.

"Vamonos, Mica! Your dad's waiting for us!"

After making his way downstairs to collect his new keycard, Octavio rushed down the hall with speed, juggling his luggage as best he could. Elliott hadn't been answering any of the texts or phone calls he'd been leaving him, to inform him of the good news. He couldn't help but hope his partner wasn't mad at him about last night. It wasn't exactly the homecoming he wanted. He stumbled over his bags, as he inserted his keycard into the door.

"It's me, mi amor! Guess who's...home...Elliott?"

But he wasn't greeted by warm arms wrapping around him or even a response from his partner, liked he'd hoped, as he dropped off his belongings in the front hall.

"Hello?"

He slowly stepped into the living room, only now realising how dark it was inside the apartment. The curtains were still pulled over.

"Elliott?!" he called again, noticing the bundle of blankets that seemed to stir in acknowledgment of his presence, for the first time. He approached the cocoon, upon seeing the trickster's trademark curls sticking out, dropping to his knees next to his partner.

"Elliott? What are you doing here? Did you sleep here last night?"

He received only a pained groan in response, a sigh escaping him as he picked up one of the multiple beer bottles that littered the area.

"You're drunk."

"No, I'm hungover. There's a difference" the trickster grumbled, as he sat up, rubbing his fingers over his forehead. "Can't a guy at least try to have a good time in this fucking place?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Elliott shook his head, as he got to his feet and moved to the couch, flopping down onto it with a sigh.

"Well, hey listen," the runner started, moving to join him. "I've got good news! I can move back in!"

The trickster's face seemed to brighten momentarily at the news.

"That is good news. I've...really m-missed you."

The sudden break in his boyfriend's voice tugged on Octavio's heartstrings, but what really got to him was the fresh tears that began to trickle down his face.

"Amor, what's wrong? Do you feel sick?"

"N-no. It's...nothing I'm just t-tired," Elliott told him, wiping at his face with the back of his hand.

"That's a lie," Octavio pointed out, reaching for his lover to pull him close, as they lay back on the couch together. "Talk to me. Is someone here giving you shit? Because, I'll kick them. Right in the shins!"

A small laugh emitted from his partner, prompting the younger legend to slide his fingers through his curls, receiving a contented sigh as praise.

"I just...Don't think I like it here," Elliott began. "Hate it, even. The move was so fast and I...just really miss Solace. Which is dumb because I spent so m-much time wishing to get off it when I was younger."

"It's not dumb," Octavio soothed. "It's your home. Our home, now. Of course you're gonna miss it."

"I miss my bar. My friends. The service out here f-fucking sucks so I can't even have a decent conversation with my mom. I r-really felt like I was starting to get my shit together and now it's all...gone," he sniffled. "And you've been...gone."

It hadn't really occurred to Octavio that the move was being his difficult for his partner. He was having a great time and had honestly barely even thought about Solace, besides missing the comfort of their old apartment.

"And it made me realise how t-terrible I've been to you. I spent so much time working and now it's the other w-way around and it sucks" the trickster concluded, quietly.

"Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"Because...I saw all the cool stuff you were getting to do and...I didn't wanna r-ruin it for you."

Octavio placed a quick kiss to the top of his head.

"I'm sorry, mi amor. I shouldn't have let myself get so distracted."

"No! You don't have to be sorry!" Elliott protested, wiping the damp trails on his cheeks. "I'm just...being a baby. I'll get over it."

The runner ran his fingers down his lover's arm gently.

"At least now we can get over it together, right?"

"Right" the trickster agreed, adjusting his position to place a sweet kiss on the other's lips. "I'm really glad you're home, baby."

"Me too" Octavio replied, a mischievous smile creeping onto his face. "Now, I don't know about you, but I've got so many ideas for how we can make up for all this time we've lost."

The statement caused the trickster to laugh warmly, as he propped himself up on one elbow, mimicking his partner's expression.

"Does it involve, locking ourselves away from the world for the rest of the day? Because I've got a bitch of headache."

Octavio grinned at him, as he laced their fingers together.

"We can lock ourselves away for the rest of the month if you'd like. See how long it takes them to find us."

Elliott laughed as he dipped his head to offer his lover another kiss.

"Sounds like a plan to me."

He could feel his partner smile against him, as their lips met, and for the first time since they'd set foot on the dropship, Elliott felt at home.


	17. Elliott's Birthday

Octavio awoke early that morning. He assumed it was early, but it was honestly hard to tell. Talos had a day and night cycle he still wasn't quite used to, with dull mornings and even darker evenings. He snuggled closer to the sleeping body next to him, hoping to absorb some heat into his own. Despite the new compound having been improved slightly, since they first arrived, their new apartment still wasn't as comfortable as their home on Solace. Octavio wasn't really enjoying having to bundle up to deal with the cold, he missed his crop tops dearly, but there was little he could do to avoid it. However, today wasn't about him, which was something he had to remind himself of, as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked up at his sleeping partner. Today was about Elliott. It was his birthday, after all. The trickster had mentioned he didn't want a big fuss, this year. It's not he had much choice, considering activities were limited on Talos in comparison to back home. But still, he had claimed he wanted to just have a lazy day, a nice dinner later and maybe a drink to two with some of the other legends that night. However, Octavio wasn't quite satisfied with those plans and had made a few of his own. He placed some gentle kisses along his boyfriend's jaw and chest, receiving a satisfied sigh in response, before slipping out from under the blankets. The runner secured his prosthetics, slipped on one of the trickster's robes and made his way into the kitchen to begin the first plan he had for today. Breakfast.

Cooking was never his forte, having never needing to learn the skill before he moved from Psamathe to join the Apex Games. He'd never felt the urge to cook until after he'd moved in with Elliott, taking full advantage of the compound cafeteria or the many take out option's Solace City had to offer. He'd learned a couple of things from his partner, as he often liked to sit and watch the trickster cook dinner, when he wasn't placed on peeling and cutting duty. Today's breakfast plans were pancakes, something Elliott had cooked for him multiple times in the past. "Grandma Witt's Pancakes", is what he'd always announce every time he served them, occasionally making a small change to the recipe to suit Octavio's tastes, whether that be chocolate chips or lemon juice, depending on his mood that day. Thankfully, Elliott's personal favourite was just plain pancakes with syrup and fresh fruit. Octavio had put his trust in Bloodhound to source some edible berries from the area, and said a silent prayer, as he prepared them that they wouldn't end up poisoning them both. He set the fruit and pancake batter aside for now, opting to rush to Ajay's apartment to pick up the trickster's gifts before he woke up.

He tugged the bag back into their apartment, when he returned, struggling to balance the weight and the bunch of balloons he carried, as he made his way through their kitchen and into the bedroom. The medic had kindly offered to wrap the gifts for him, enlisting the help of Natalie, stating she'd been on the receiving end of Octavio's gift wrapping before and it left something to be desired, to put it kindly. He deposited the gifts onto the end of the bed, trying to be as gentle as possible, to not disturb his sleeping partner. Although, if the runner was honest, he could probably throw an entire birthday party inside their bedroom and it still would not affect the heavy sleeping trickster. He crawled on top of his boyfriend's sleeping form, nuzzling his nose against his cheek. He brushed the curls from the holo-technician's face, placing gentle kisses to his forehead before lowering his voice to speak in a hushed tone, that he seemed to reserve only for Elliott.

"Good morning, mi alma."

The trickster stirred slightly underneath him.

"Wake up, amor. It's birthday time!"

Elliott let out a small groan as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and turned his attention to the younger legend who was perched contently across his body. He offered him a tired smile.

"Oh, hey b-beautiful."

"Hey! Happy birthday!" the runner said excitedly, shifting his weight around while he spoke. "Mira, I got all you presents here and I'm gonna make you breakfast and take super good care of you all day!"

The trickster chuckled lowly, as two deft hands where slid onto his chest.

"You don't need to go to all the trouble, baby. But if you don't mind, I'd kinda like to stay here a little while longer," he said, bringing his own hand up to take hold of the one on his chest.

He let out a satisfied hum, when Octavio took the hint and joined him back under the covers and was in his arms, faster than he could even ask for it.

"I love you" Elliott murmured into his dark hair. "I just wanna cuddle for a little bit. It's cold out there."

"Is that all you want?" Octavio asked coyly, running his fingers down his lover's chest, stopping to toy with the dusting of hair above his waistband.

The trickster laughed bashfully, at the gesture.

"A gentleman doesn't ask, but I won't say no to anything you have to offer."

* * *

Octavio couldn't resist the urge to smirk at the way his partner's thighs shuddered as he pulled himself way to admire the mess he'd made as he wiped at the corner of his mouth. He eyed his partner lustfully, as he adjusted his position so they were face to face. The trickster smiled coyly at him, allowing the mess of curls to be brushed away from his face by his lover's slim fingers.

"Thanks for that."

The runner snorted at the statement.

"You don't have to thank me every time, amor."

"I...I know" Elliott replied, a familiar heat rushing to his cheeks, just like every other time they'd had this same conversation. "I just...feel bad when you don't get anything out of it."

"Don't worry, I'll get more than my fix later" Octavio said cheekily.

The trickster chuckled softly at the remark, moving his hands to rest on the hips of the man hovering above him.

It was times like this he missed home the most. He missed his mom. His family. It only felt like a few short years ago that they would celebrate days like this together. The unfortunate birthday boy would be the victim of some ridiculous prank and his mom would swat their hands away as they fought over who got the last piece of cake. They were never really in a position to afford lavish gifts growing up, and Elliott often found himself daydreaming about the electrifying feeling in the air when someone would open a new video game or pair of shiny new soccer cleats, and they'd lose their minds over the take out they'd get that evening, while they lounged about watching movies. His life was so different now, it was crazy. He'd never forget that one Christmas in particular, where his mom's work had really gotten some attention, and her eyes welled with tears when her four boys opened their gifts to all find new cellphones inside. Times were different now, and his birthdays and holidays were no longer spent wishing that he could be back there. They weren't spent with dried tears on his cheeks and telling himself it wasn't fair, while he tried to lose his emotions to a bottle of overpriced whisky. He no longer looked back on those old memories with malice, but with a bittersweet fondness. He didn't feel so alone anymore.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Octavio asked, tilting his head like a confused puppy, while he monitored his boyfriend's change in expression.

He looked so handsome, with a warm but gentle smile on his face and look of sheer adoration in his eyes, as he took the younger legend's hand in his own.

"Because I love you" he said softly enough, to make the other man blush. "And I'm just so lucky to have you, and this is already the best birthday ever."

"But you haven't even opened your presents yet!" Octavio quipped, causing the trickster to laugh.

"My statement still stands" Elliott replied, cupping his partner's cheek gently as he pulled him forward to place a tender kiss on his lips.

"You're so beautiful" he whispered, when they broke apart, which caused the runner's cheeks to flush brighter than before, as he buried his face into the crook of the trickster's neck in a silent protest.

"Aw, what's the matter sweetheart?" Elliott cooed. "Can't take a compliment?"

Octavio whined pitifully, as Elliott used his strength to pry him away, the sound evolving into a contented sigh when a pair of plush lips captured his own again. Elliott loved being able to have these undisturbed moments with Octavio, more than anything. Just being able to kiss him, to hold him and focus on nothing else but him. He kissed him slowly, but deeply, only occasionally pulling away to playfully rub their noses together, relishing in the giggle the action got from his partner, before pulling him into his warmth again.

* * *

After a much needed shower on his part, Elliott wandered into the kitchen to find his significant other scraping pancake batter from the pan and into the trash. He chuckled quietly at the scene, as he moved to wrap an arm around the younger man's waist, dipping his head to place a kiss on his temple.

"I didn't know you were such a domestic god."

"I got some of them right" Octavio mumbled, setting the pan back down with some force.

"You're so cute" Elliott hummed, picking up some of the fruits his partner had laid out earlier, to assist with the situation, only to be scolded.

"Hey! I'm doing this! It's your birthday and I'm trying to make it perfect, back off!"

The trickster held his hands up in mock defense.

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry. I'll sit over here and be a good boy then."

"I don't think you know how" Octavio snorted, while he dished out the food.

Elliott smirked to himself, flopping down on the couch and whipped out his phone, briefly scanning through the notifications that had accumulated during the night, wishing him a happy birthday and best wishes for the day.

He perked up at the sweet smell that followed his partner to the couch, greedily taking the plate of food that was handed to him and plucked a berry from the stack of pancakes and popped it into his mouth.

"Mmm".

"I don't think they're Witt standard but…".

"They're perfect. Thank you, sweetheart."

Octavio cradled his mug of coffee in his hands, pursing his lips before taking a sip.

Elliott watched the movement, raising his eyebrow at his partner.

"What's the matter?"

"With what?"

"With you."

"Nothing."

The trickster nudged him playfully with his knee.

"You know, my mom was always great at spotting a liar. I'd like to think I picked up a tip or two from her."

Octavio sighed, tracing the rim of his mug with his finger.

"I just want you to have a good birthday. I know you don't like being away from home but...my parents didn't really do stuff like this, so I don't know if I'm doing it right."

Elliott deposited his now empty plate onto the coffee table, taking the younger legend's hand in his own, giving it a comforting squeeze.

"Of course you are. The fact that you made the effort at all, means a lot to me. And we're together. How could that not be a good thing?"

The runner considered the thought, absentmindedly poking at his discarded fruit with his fork.

"We're together everyday, Elliott. That's not special."

He laughed quietly at the dramatic gasp he received from his boyfriend, as he placed a hand over his heart.

"You wound me, Octavio."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it" Octavio smiled mischievously, leaning over so he could nudge the trickster with his shoulder. "Nerd."

* * *

"Hey, listen" Octavio started, eyeing the back of Elliott's head, as he worked away at the sink, having convinced the runner to at least let him do the dishes. He liked the way the curls on the top of his head had started to frizz up, as they dried, currently lacking the assistance of the different hair products he typically used on a daily basis.

"Before you open your presents, I kinda wanted to show you something."

He toyed with the hem of his hoodie awkwardly, immediately shifting to a more casual stance when his partner turned around to face him.

"Oh? What is it?"

The trickster watched, curiously as his boyfriend dashed towards their bedroom, returning a few moments later with, what looked like, a sketchbook in hand. He joined him on the couch, noticing how the younger legend fidgeted with the corner of the book before speaking.

"I wasn't sure if it was a dumb idea or not so...It's not really how I wanted it to be. But I hope you like it anyway."

Elliott's heart skipped a beat as his eyes roamed over the pages his partner had done out, taking his time to run his fingers over the paper, ensuring to absorb everything. Every page was filled with different photos or mementos with notes or commentary etched under each. There were magazine clippings from different interviews they'd done where they'd mentioned the other, tickets from the first time they went to the theme park together, and when they went paintballing or the movies. The interview he'd done with a reporter the night he'd reopened his bar, had a two page spread surrounded by the photos Octavio had managed to take, of the crowd, of him and their friends. Elliott knew his partner loved a good selfie, but he never quite grasped how many photos he'd taken of everything until now. There were pictures of them together when they were "just friends", pictures from their early relationship, all the way up until now. They never seemed to end. There were pictures of when they'd first gotten Mica, to pictures of the trips they'd taken, for sponsor events or to just get away from it all. There were pictures of pretty much everything, and every single one had a comment or memory or accompanying doodle, from Octavio.

"So...What do you think?" the runner asked, when he was sure Elliott had seen everything.

It took Elliott a moment to gather his thoughts and swallow the emotion that had started to rise in his throat.

"Babe, this is...perfect. I love it."

"You...do? I really liked looking through the scrapbooks your mom showed us when we visited so I thought...maybe it's time we had one of our own" he explained, the statement making it increasingly more difficult for the trickster to hold himself together. "I know it's not perfect yet, and I'll cut out the blank pages later if you wanna keep it and-".

Elliott shook his head, a goofy smile spreading to his face, while he wiped at his cheeks.

"Hey, I'm gonna need those pages! I'm sure I'll have plenty of more memories with the best boyfriend ever to fill them with."

Octavio lay his head on his partner's shoulder, snuggling closer with a contented smile as a strong arm was wrapped around his shoulders and kiss was placed into his hair.

"The best boyfriend ever, huh? That's a pretty big claim, mi amor."

"Don't act like you don't believe it," Elliott chuckled. "And who knows? Maybe by the time my next birthday rolls around, you'll be upgraded to best fian-".

_***Buzzzzzz***_

"Oh, is...Is that your phone, babe?"

Octavio rolled his eyes, as he fished the device from his pocket. He muttered a quiet, "dammit Ajay", to himself before picking up the call, which gave the trickster some time to look through his scrapbook one more time.

"Hola? Yup? I know. I _knoooow_. Jeez, Che. It was my idea, I'm not gonna forget! Get off my ass about it! Yeah, I will. See ya later."

"That sounded like an interesting conversation," Elliott joked, as he continued to flick through the pages. "What did she want?"

"She's warning me to not forget about your party later."

The trickster's eyes shimmered upon hearing the words.

"I'm having a party?!"

It was almost comical, how quickly the colour drained from the younger legend's face, only to be replaced by a gentle blush, almost instantly, as he covered his face with his hands and fell back against the couch with a groan.

"Mierda! I wasn't supposed to tell you!"

Elliott laughed softly and settled himself beside his partner, nudging him playfully.

"That's okay. At least I have time to work on my surprised face, right?."

Octavio sighed, a pout showing on his lips when his hands were pulled away from his face.

"Hey, come on now. If there's one thing we _don't_ have time for it's that" Elliott said, a teasing tone to his voice. "Besides, didn't _someone_ mention I still have presents to open?"

"Dios Mio! Finally! I thought you were gonna me wait all day!" Octavio exclaimed, his expression turning to a bright grin as he dashed off towards the bedroom.

Elliott chuckled warmly, settling back and making himself comfortable on the couch, while he waited. He couldn't resist the smile that spread into his face. This was easily shaping up to be the best birthday ever.


	18. Home for the Holidays

The gentle purring of the car's engine, provided a sense of comfort for Elliott, as he stared out the window at a landscape he once knew so well. You could barely tell it was Christmas Eve. He'd grown somewhat accustomed to snow, and being back home where the weather was relatively always good was weird. It really did feel strange being back on Solace after residing on Talos for so long. He let out an exasperated sigh, as the car took a turn and began to leave the small town and continue down the route to his childhood home. He would've been able to draw this place from memory once. Every bush, every bramble, every picket fence and every crack in the paintwork. Even that weird bump in the road, that no one seemed to ever be able to fix. He remembered that one well; he'd tripped over it enough times on his way home from school or drunken nights out. It bothered him that some sights were now new to him, as they continued their journey. He'd been away for too long. It always felt like he was away for too long when he came home.

"Elliott, are you even listening to me?"

He was snapped from his thoughts by the sound of a slightly irritated voice. He turned his attention away from the window, and settled it on his partner instead, who was occupying most of the backseat at this point. Elliott wasn't sure at what point he'd began to drown out Octavio's constant announcements of being bored and asking how much longer this trip was going to take. He assumed it must have been for a while now, due to the tone of his boyfriend's voice. The trickster smiled sheepishly at him.

"Sorry, baby. I was somewhere else there."

"I asked if you were excited to be home for Christmas."

Elliott wasn't sure if "excited" was the word he'd use. He felt more relieved to have the time off, if he was honest. The games had been pretty hectic lately, especially with the addition of him hosting a portion of them. He was grateful for the time away, despite it only being granted on the condition that they'd be back in time for the New Year's Eve celebrations.

There was a little part of him that was dreading this trip. He hadn't really talked about the phone call he had with his mom, that was putting him off this visit, with Octavio, or well, anyone. He knew it was his own fault. He shouldn't have called her while he was at work, especially when he was in Mirage mode. He was so excited when the board announced to everyone that he would be hosting the Winter event, that he whipped out his phone and called his mom, as soon as the meeting was over. People overheard the conversation, at least his end of it, including some of the overheads, his sponsors, and a few of the other legends, with Octavio being one of them. He remembers being hurt and overwhelmed in the moment, and he panicked and kept babbling nonsense, not wanting to break face, until he forced himself out into the hall to quietly tell his mother he loved her and hung up. He wasn't sure if anyone had figured out what it was about. At least he hoped they hadn't. He called her again later that week and apologised for calling her while he was at work, and tentatively reminded her of what happened, hoping her answer might ease his nerves a little. She claimed she was just tired, her own work had been hectic and she too apologised and they both awkwardly laughed about it. And yet, as the car slowed to a stop outside his mother's house, he couldn't help but feel that it was something more than that. He felt his stomach become uneasy as he lifted their luggage from the trunk of the car, and waited for Octavio to tip their driver. Evelyn hugged them both when they came inside and they chatted briefly about how their trip was and everything seemed normal. It wasn't until Mica began to stir in his cage, and his mother clapped her hands together in delight, did that feeling of dread begin to settle over him again.

"Mom, Tav brought him here before. You've seen him. Remember?"

Evelyn furrowed her brows momentarily, before shaking her head and laughing it off, quickly moving the conversation on to a different topic.

They moved their conversation to the living room. Octavio was in the midst of telling the story of his latest win, animatedly using his hands and adding ridiculous sound effects to add to the drama, which made Ms Witt chuckle. Elliott couldn't help but watch his mother. She sat with one leg crossed over the other, head tilted slightly towards the runner who was now on a roll with his story, with both of her worn hands wrapped snugly around her mug of coffee; the way she always sat. But still, the trickster couldn't help but feel something was off about her. Maybe it was prominent grey hairs unusually noticitable around the top of her head, or the blouse that didn't quite fit her properly. He wasn't sure, but he wasn't about to start nitpicking her appearance. It wasn't long before he noticed there was something off about the living room too. Something was missing.

"So, are we just not having a Christmas tree this year?" he asked loudly, gaining the attention of both his mother and boyfriend, whose tale he'd just interrupted.

"I decided not to go with a real one this year. It seems like a waste when it's just me here."

Evelyn took a sip of her coffee before continuing.

"I think we have an old artificial one somewhere, if you want to set it up and decorate it."

A small gasp emitted from the speedster at the suggestion, looking to his partner with pleading eyes.

"Oh, can we?! Can we?! Por favor?!"

Ms Witt hummed in approval, draining the last of her coffee from her cup, before dragging herself from her seat.

"You boys have fun. I'm going to get a headstart on the food for tomorrow."

"I can't believe you've never decorated a Christmas tree before" Elliott spoke, though he was quickly starting to believe it, as he watched his lover rifle through the box of decorations, becoming more and more tangled in tinsel as the moments passed, while he finished draping the last of the lights around the branches.

"We always got people in to do our trees for us" Octavio responded, attempting to unravel some of the tinsel from his prosthetics. "They had to be perfect for all the boring dinner parties."

"You should have said something. I would've made the effort to get one for our place, if I'd known."

"Eh, it doesn't matter. This is more fun!"

The runner continued to search through the box, picking out whatever ornaments took his fancy, until he landed on one her particularly liked; A small, red, old fashioned steam train.

"Mira! Check this one out!" he exclaimed, holding it up triumphantly. "All aboard the Oc-train! Choo choo!"

Elliott smiled softly at his partner, and came to kneel next to him, looking at the decoration he held above his head, fondly.

"That's actually my brother's train."

Octavio quickly lowered his hand, cringing at the information, heat flooding to his cheeks.

"I'm...Mierda, I'm sorry. I didn't know…".

"No, no! I didn't mean it like that!" the trickster assured him, taking the ornament from his boyfriend's hand, so he could inspect it meticulously. "I just mean, we all have one so there should be three more."

"Oh" the runner mused, peering into the box, while Elliott began to search around inside it. He pulled out a variation of other ornaments in the meantime, including a random horse, some festive looking dogs, some stars and some coloured baubles.

"Ah, here we go" Elliott eventually spoke again, when he found what he was looking for.

He carefully placed the remaining trains into Octavio's cupped hands; one blue, one green and one yellow.

"I'll let you take a wild guess at which one's mine" the trickster chuckled.

Octavio hummed fondly, holding up the yellow train for a better look.

"These are cool. We didn't have stuff like this at home."

"There's actually a story behind these" Elliott began, gently tugging the tinsel away from his partner's legs, so he could start wrapping it around the tree. "My grandpa got us this awesome train set one year. It had all the rails and tunnels and little stations and stuff. But well...There was always _one_ person who tried to hog the train controls…".

"Was it you?" Octavio laughed, adding some of the baubles to the branches.

"How did you know?" the trickster chuckled. "Anyways, we ended up fighting over it all the time. My grandma thought it was hilarious. She called us her "chaotic conductors", and bought us the trains for the tree."

He said wistfully before continuing.

"'You might all be different, but never forget, you all come from the same set'."

"That's nice" the runner sighed, forlornly.

"Speaking of Grandma…", Elliott mumbled to himself, as he began frisking his pockets.

Octavio watched him move across the room to search in a drawer, and eyed him in confusion as he pulled out a deck of cards and thumbed through them until he found the one he wanted. He situated the ace of spades among the tree branches until it was barely visible, before placing a finger to his lips and winking at his boyfriend.

"Shhhh. It's for luck. Grandma's old trick. It means we'll get good gifts."

The runner humoured him with a smile, despite internally questioning his methods.

"What about these?" he asked, drawing the trickster's attention back to the train ornaments.

"Yeah, go ahead. Put 'em on."

Octavio felt a hand slide onto his hip as he placed the decorations on the tree, as carefully as he could. His partner kissed his temple lightly, burying his nose in his hair when he was done.

"I'm glad you're here, Tav."

"Me too" the runner agreed, leaning into his lover's warmth.

"Do you mind putting the last few things on the tree yourself?" Elliott asked, already pulling away. "I just…Um...Y'know, don't want mom to think I left all the cooking to her."

Elliott poked his head around the kitchen door, watching his mother for a few moments before making his presence known. She appeared to be making some sort of marinade.

"Hey, mom."

"Hi, sweetie."

The trickster shoved his hands into his back pockets, as he entered the room, stopping to hover around his mother, while she cooked, like he would when he was young.

"Do you need any help with anything?"

"No, that's alright. I can manage."

He nodded his head in understanding, as he moved to lean against the counter.

"M-mom, is...there anything you wanna...y'know...t-talk about?"

"You got something on your mind?" she asked, stirring her spoon in the concoction she'd created.

"I mean, yeah. I...guess you could say that."

"What is it? You know you can tell me anything."

Elliott rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, shuffling his feet on the tiles. He licked his lips a few times before continuing. It seemed so hard to find the right words.

"I just...I...Just wanna know what's going on...with you. I'm worried about you, mom."

Evelyn chuckled.

"Why? Does my cooking look that bad?"

The trickster laughed awkwardly at the joke, and shoved his hands back into his pockets. He had no idea how to even approach this.

"Mom, you're like...forgetting stuff. Important stuff. You know th-that. Don't you?"

His mother's hand seemed to jerk uncontrollably at his words, the spoon in her hand knocking against the bowl with a clatter. She paused, pursing her lips into a thin line.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm fine."

"Mom look, I don't wanna be that guy but...I can't stop th-thinking about that phone call. And m-maybe it's not a big deal but I-".

Evelyn ran her fingers through her hair somewhat roughly, before moving her hands to her hips with a sigh.

"What phone call?"

"This is exactly what I'm talking about!" he retaliated.

He didn't intend for his voice to raise the way it did, and instantly felt remorse when he noticed the way she jumped at the shift in his tone. However, it wasn't long before she was whirling back on him, snarling her words through gritted teeth.

"I do not want to argue with you! It's Christmas!"

"You already ruined Christmas when you forgot who I was!" he croaked out, leaving the women stunned.

And with that, he turned on his heel to leave, stopping in his tracks when he heard a tired sigh behind him. He turned to see his mother looking defeated, to some extent, with her arms folded tightly across her chest, shoulders hunched over and her gaze was settled somewhere in his direction but not directly on him.

"Early onset dementia. That's what they think anyway."

The trickster took a few tentative steps towards her, trying to process what he just heard.

"Wh-what?"

"I knew something was up. I have for a little while now," she began, slumping back against the counter.

She dug through her pockets and pulled out her phone, pulling a series of notes up before handing it to him. He read them carefully, seeing various to-do lists, dates worth remembering and random facts about people his mother knew. She hadn't noted their phone call, though Elliott thought that maybe it made sense that she wouldn't want to remember such a thing. He didn't think he would either.

"I started making note of things, to make sure I wasn't going crazy" she continued, laughing bitterly.

"How...How do they know for sure that it's...that?" Elliott asked, setting the phone to the side for now. "Maybe it's something else."

Evelyn simply shrugged.

"We talked about it. Stress...Depression...They were possibilities for a while...But, dementia...makes the most sense."

"So, they _don't_ know for sure?"

"They want me to take some tests to be certain but that'll be a few weeks from now."

"A few weeks?!" Elliott spat. "No. No, we'll...pay someone else to do them faster. I'll pay. We'll figure this out and-".

His mother held up a hand, stopping him.

"It is what it is, Elliott. There's no stopping it. No changing it."

"But...Maybe when we know for sure, we can do something."

"There's nothing they can do, sweetie" she sighed. "And...maybe I don't want to know for sure."

Elliott's shoulders tensed at her words.

"Well maybe I do!"

"Well that's not your choice to make!"

Her hand came down on the countertop with a hard smack, before curling her fingers into a fist to rest at her side. She sucked in her breath and neither of them spoke for a few moments, until she let out a long exhale, squared her shoulders and began again.

"I'm sorry. This is just…".

"No, I'm sorry," Elliott said quietly, allowing himself to be pulled into a hug.

He breathed in the familiar scent of his mother's perfume, and it relaxed him, if only slightly.

"My baby boy" she murmured into his shoulder. "I know I should've mentioned it sooner but I knew it would just make you worry. And you have your own little family to take care of now."

"But that doesn't mean I can't take care of you too" he protested softly.

"I have friends here, Elliott. I'll be okay. For now, I just want us to have a nice Christmas together" Evelyn said, firmly but still somehow remaining gentle, as she pulled away from her son, patting his arm gently in the process.

"I want that too" Elliott responded, before getting an idea. "Hey, mom...Before we have to leave, I want you to come to the city with me. I...need your help with something. Something really important."

The rest of the evening rolled on with a relatively more peaceful atmosphere. Evelyn finally agreed to allow Elliott to assist her in the kitchen, while Octavio continued to share stories of his victories. Elliott couldn't help but smile at the scene in front of him, as he softly hummed along to the Christmas music playing on the radio. It was nice, seeing his mother and boyfriend interact. Evelyn laughed at all the right moments, during Octavio's stories and even gave him the honour of being her chief taste tester, much to the runner's delight. The house felt busy for the first Christmas in years, and it was nice. It wasn't long before the living room was occupied by some of his mother's friends and neighbours, who had come to exchange tokens of goodwill. A bittersweet atmosphere settled over the room as they ate treats and drank together, sharing stories about times gone by and fond memories of those no longer with them. Octavio leaned against his partner's arm, while he smiled and nodded politely, as the older members of the community pointed out how the last time they saw him he was only knee height and how lovely it was to have someone from the area become so successful.

"They would be so proud," is what he would keep hearing, and he found himself excusing himself on several occasions to retire to the kitchen for a breather and to mix more drinks. However, despite the painful awkwardness of it all, Elliott was grateful to be here and it brought him some comfort knowing his boyfriend was getting to experience, what he kept referring to as, "a normal Christmas." He was absorbed by a feeling of pure contentment, even when he did have to try his hardest to convince a group of drunk neighbors to leave, later that night, and escort his mother to her bedroom, after one too many glasses of wine.

"That was fantastic!" she said, with a small giggle, pulling at the hair tie that was securing her ponytail, allowing her curls to scatter wildly over the pillow, as she lay back.

"I'll take you some coffee in the morning" Elliott told her, while he tucked her in.

His mother reached out for his hand, when he was about to move away, patting his fingers gently as her eyes began to close.

"Thank you, Aaron, honey."

Elliott bit his lip, and squeezed her hand once, before standing to leave.

"Y-yeah, that's...okay, mom. Goodnight."

After washing his face thoroughly, in the bathroom and getting changed into the flannel pyjamas his mother had gifted him as an early present, he made his way back into the living room, where Octavio was sat in a matching PJs set, looking all too pleased with himself as he stared at the twinkling lights on the Christmas tree.

"It's so messy and chaotic. I love it" he said, as Elliott came to sit next to him on the couch.

"It's certainly is some of our finer work, to date" he quipped, receiving a playful shove from his boyfriend in return.

The speedster sighed contently, as he rested his head against his lover's chest. Elliott ran his fingers up and down his back lovingly, and they remained that way for some time; the only sound being the occasional giggle from Octavio when his fingers brushed against a spot that tickled him. It was cosy and peaceful, so much so, that Elliott found himself drifting off at one point, only to be disturbed by his partner wiggling around in his grasp. The runner adjusted his position until they were face to face, and without saying a word, leaned in and kissed him. He ran his fingers through the fade at the back of the trickster's skull, gaining a quiet sigh as praise. He could feel Elliott's hands moving around his body, in an attempt to pull him closer, as he worked his lips against him. He noted how his partner tasted of whisky and mixed spice, and rediated a familiar scent and warmth that made Octavio feel weak. But it was the way he looked at him, after they'd pulled apart that really made his stomach do flips; eyes slightly drowsy, pupils dilated and a goofy smile on his face.

"I love you" Elliott told him, squeezing his hip lightly. "More than anything."

"I love you, too" Octavio responded softly, graciously accepting the gentle kiss that was placed on his lips.

The trickster stretched his arms over his head, after that, and offered his lover a hand up, as he stood.

"Let's get to bed. I'm exhausted."

* * *

**"****_How did he know this was the exact one I wanted?!" Elliott exclaimed, as he removed the last pieces of wrapping paper to reveal a shiny new magic kit._**

_His mother chuckled behind him, from her spot on the couch, reaching forward to ruffle the mop of curls on his head. _

"_Santa is magic. He always knows."_

"_This is awesome!" _

_He immediately tore open the box, and spent the next few hours obsessing over the manual, trying to master as many tricks as possible. He sauntered into the living room, later that evening, while his brothers were relaxing after Christmas dinner, and toying around with their own gifts. He stood in front of them, beginning his routine, as he held up a ping-pong ball. _

"_This might look like an ordinary ping-pong ball, but I'm here to prove that it is not!"_

"_Elliott, move. You're in the way of the TV" Kyle growled, trying to peer around his younger brother's head, who ignored his request and continued. _

"_I'm gonna make this ball disappear!"_

_His three brothers watched on disdain, as he dramatically moved his hands around, eventually opening them both to show they were both empty. _

"_Ta-da!"_

"_That's a dumb trick, Ell. It's obviously in your pocket" Aaron spoke, reclining back in his seat, satisfied that he'd solved the ruse._

_Elliott grinned mischievously at his oldest brother, pulling out the lining of his pockets to show, they too, was empty. _

"_Nope!"_

"_It's up your sleeve then!" Lucas chimed in, his face falling when the youngest Witt allowed him to check his shirt, only to find no ball. _

_The siblings looked at each other in confusion, while the young boy stood in front of them, a triumphant smile on his face._

"_Moooooom! Elliott's doing weird stuff with his magic again!" Kyle called out. "And he won't get out of the way of the TV!" _

"_You must've shoved it down your pants or something. I'm not falling for that" the oldest spoke again, shaking his head. _

"_Nope!"_

"_Then tell us how you did it!" Lucas piped up again, seeming more interested than before. _

"_A magician never tells his secrets!" Elliott told them, dashing out of the room, giggling to himself when he heard his brothers call after him._

"_Hey, get back here and show us how you did that!"_

"_Elliott!"_

"_ELLIOTT!" _

"Elliott! Elliott!"

The trickster mumbled something, disgruntled, as he was disturbed from him dreams.

"Elliott! Come on, wake up! It's Christmas!"

"No" Elliott responded groggily, rolling over to turn away from his boyfriend, who persistently kept trying to wake him. "It's not Christmas. Not for another five minutes, at least."

"But it _is_ Christmas!" Octavio protested with a laugh, shuffling towards his partner so he could snuggle into his back. "Vamos! It's gift time!"

* * *

Christmas and the following days seemed to fly by in a blur of food, drinks, and bad movies. It almost didn't feel real to be back in Solace city, with only a few more days to spare before they were expected back on Talos. Octavio sat in the backseat of Ms Witt's car, while Elliott drove with his mother in the passenger seat, occasionally arguing over directions or comments from Evelyn, wishing she'd drove instead. Octavio was a little miffed that this trip to the city was only sprung on him earlier that morning. Elliott knew he hated shopping, and knowing he now had to commit to a whole day of it, was not making him happy. What annoyed him further was, after they'd parked, the trickster suggested he should explore the city on his own for bit, using some lame excuse about how he and his mom wanted some quality time together, which was very obviously, a lie. He stomped off in a huff, wondering why his boyfriend even invited him to come at all if he was just going to ditch him. Though, as time began to pass and he was wandering through the city streets alone, he started to feel bad. He had overheard parts of Elliott and Evelyn's conversation in the kitchen, while he was finishing decorating. He wasn't sure of the context but he knew they had argued so maybe they really did just need some time. Elliott had told him to meet them at his bar in a couple of hours and they'd all go to dinner, so maybe he'd find out what this was all about then. He considered just going back to their old apartment in the Apex building to wait, but as he began making his way in that direction, he stumbled upon a holiday market in the city square. It lightened his mood slightly, as he quickly browsed through the different stalls, taking in the homemade gifts and the smell of street food cooking. He pulled his hood up, wanting to avoid being recognised, if possible. Maybe he could pick up something for Elliott here to apologise for being an ass earlier? Perhaps a small token to gift at the beginning of the new year? He stood in the middle of the market considering it, until he got an even better idea.

He had to use his phone for directions, to find his way to the slightly more upmarket side of the city. It was never really his scene, none of the stores here really interested him, but he'd been here a handful of times. Elliott had a soft spot for some of the boutiques along these streets, and Octavio had accompanied him a few times, despite it being insufferably boring. He flicked through some reviews on his phone as he walked, wanting to find the perfect store. He'd promised Elliott something shiny some time ago, and as he looked down at the ring on his own finger, it made him realise just how long it had been. He idled outside the jewellry store of choice, for some time, suddenly feeling incredibly awkward about going inside. He drummed his fingers on his thighs a few times, mentally berating himself for acting like this.

"Come on, Octavio. You're Octane! He's not scared of anything" he grumbled to himself, under his breath. "And you're Bertrán Silva's son. So, you're definitely not freaked out by some rich snobs."

He pushed the door open and stepped inside as quietly as possible, not wanting to draw too much attention to himself. He browsed for a while, not quite sure what he was looking for. He considered just following Elliott's lead and going with a ring. However, as he continued to browse the glass cabinets, his eyes landed on a set of silver bracelets. Elliott might like a bracelet. He liked watches. Those were kind of the same thing. Right? He eventually settled on a simple, dainty silver chain bracelet that he could customise slightly, opting to add a small coin charm that he could get their birthstones set into a tiny engraving on the back, keeping it on theme with the ring Elliott had gifted him, but still different. It was pretty and simple. Something expensive looking enough, that he could be proud of, but modest enough that he could wear it without it getting in the way of his work, or clashing with any of his outfits.

After making his request to the finely dressed lady behind the counter, who he discovered was not a snob like he'd assumed but actually quite nice, he hung around the store awkwardly while he waited. His gaze uncontrollably kept falling on the ring section. Curiosity, and albeit, nosiness was getting the better of him, and he couldn't resist the urge to look, wondering if he could find a similar ring to the one he always wore, and finally find out how much his boyfriend had paid for it. He peered at the various diamonds and colourful gems that glistened behind the glass, finding similar styles to his own, but nothing exactly the same. He sighed, feeling a little defeated, and began to back away, until something caught his eye and stopped him; a stunning white gold ring, with a trail of inset diamonds, leading up to a cluster of diamonds that formed a squarish shape on top. It was incredibly sparkly, and it shocked Octavio when he found himself sucking in his breath as he stared at it, creeping closer to get a better look, as if the piece might jump out and bite him if he got too close.

"Thinking about popping the big question?"

He jumped, settling back down when he realised it was just the lady from earlier, who was starting to walk over. He wiped his hands on his jacket. When did his heart start beating so fast?

"Uhhh…".

"It truly is a wonderful piece. Unique too. There's only four in existence."

"F-four?"

"Yes. They're special. Individualised. Just like love."

"Uh...Yeah. Of course."

He folded his arms over chest, scuffing his foot into the carpet beneath them. The woman looked him over, sympathetically.

"Perhaps not today?"

No. Of course not today. He was already impulse buying a bracelet and he hadn't planned on and he didn't need one of _those_ to go with it. Though, she did say there were only four of them in existence. But did that mean they had all four of them here, or somewhere else? It must be here, right? He could come back, if they ever decided to take that step in their relationship. Because they weren't ready for that just yet. Were they? No. He was being ridiculous. And he _could_ come back. But he didn't exactly know when he'd be here again. They could be living on Talos for a while. And there were only four…

Octavio cleared his throat, cheeks reddening by the second.

"Y-yeah, I wasn't really, erm...Y'know, I wasn't really planning on, um..._that_...today so...Do, uh...Do you mind if I make a phone call in here?"

"Of course not. Take your time" she replied, smiling politely at him, her heels already clicking on the floor as she walked away. "I'll let you know when your bracelet is ready."

He quickly dug his phone from his pocket, already regretting his decision as soon as he'd pressed the dial button. He scrubbed a hand through his hair, impatiently tapping his foot until Ajay's face appeared on his screen, who appeared to already be back at the compound after her winter break.

"S'up Silva. How's Solace treatin' ya?"

"Mira, listen okay? I don't have much time and I need your help."

The medic adjusted her headband with one hand, eyeing him suspiciously.

"If this is about whether or not ya can use toilet bleach in your hair, I already told ya, the answer is no."

"No! Shut up, Che and look" he said, crouching down next to the ring cabinet and turning the camera so she could see. "What do you think of this?"

The line went quiet for a moment, and the speedster shoved his face back into the frame slightly to make sure he hadn't been hung up on.

"I thought we weren't gettin' each other gifts this year?"

"Not for you, dumbass. For Elliott."

Ajay fell quiet again, and the pair simply stared at each other, until the medic's mouth formed into a prominent "O" and she began to half laugh, half scream, giddily, which seemed to attract the attention of the Legends around her.

"Mon Dieu, mi amie, what's wrong?" Octavio could hear Natalie's soft tone in the background.

"Tav's gonna propose to Elliott!"

"Hey, wait!" the runner interjected, after the blonde woman began to clap for him, the commotion now catching the attention of Anita, who didn't appear as pleased as her companions.

"You're proposing? Seriously?"

"No! No! No! They got it all wrong, amiga!" he said, flustered. "I just...wanted to ask your opinion that's all."

"You wanted my opinion on _engagement_ rings but you're _not_ proposing?" Ajay scoffed. "Please, Silva. I wasn't born yesterday."

"Maybe he just wants it as a gift?" Natalie added, innocently.

"Did someone mention gifts, friends? I love giving!"

"Oh, for fucks sake" Octavio muttured, when the familiar MVRN optics appeared behind the electrician's head. "Now he's here, everyone's gonna know! I'm not even proposing! I'm just...I don't know what I'm doing!"

"You wouldn't ruin a surprise for Elliott, would you Path?" the young woman asked, causing a question mark to appear on the robot's screen.

"Of course not! Elliott is my best friend! I would never want to make him sad!"

"Let's see it again" Ajay butted in, beckoning for him to turn the camera back around.

He did as he was asked, receiving a chorus of "ooooohs", as the diamonds shimmered on screen.

"So...What do you think? Hypothetically."

"Oh, it's so Elliott!" the medic replied, excitedly. "It's perfect! Flashy but sleek. Very him."

"I always thought Elliott would be into something more traditional" Natalie added, "But I think I have to agree with Ajay! Très magnifique!"

Anita squinted at the screen, wrinkling her nose.

"I don't know. Aren't you two saving for a house or something? Seems like a lot of zeros to blow on some diamonds."

Octavio sighed, clicking his tongue. She had a point. Elliott had not so subtly, berated his saving habits in the past, soon after they first decided they wanted a future together. He'd gotten better over time, but the trickster still might not take too kindly to him spending so much on him. Though, he didn't _have_ to know…

"Excuse me? Mr Silva?" the familiar voice of the lady behind the counter, startled him. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but your item is ready."

"Mierda" he cursed, turning the screen back around so the group could see him. "I gotta go. Forget about it. Some other time, eh?"

"Friend, I don't have a heart but if I did, I would follow it!" the robot piped up, just as he was about to end the call. "I think you should too!"

He slinked towards the counter after he had hung up, nervously drumming his fingers against it, while the woman went into the back to retrieve the bracelet. He could totally just buy it. He had a rough idea of what size he'd need. Elliott had jokingly tried on his ring on multiple occasions and it was almost a perfect fit for him. He twisted the band on his finger, and ran his tongue piercing over his lips. It would be simple. And he didn't have to propose right away, right? He could just keep it until the time was right. He glanced back at the ring, and quickly turned away, hunching over to lean his elbows on the counter as he shook his head. What was he thinking? He was rushing into things as usual, and not thinking about it. Elliott probably wouldn't even like that ring, and he'd say no and how awkward would that be? It could ruin their relationship. And even if he did like it, Octavio was sure he'd screw the whole thing up somehow. He'd lose the ring or say the wrong thing or...something. He shook his head and sighed. No. He came in for a simple gift for his boyfriend and that's all he was getting. Decision made.

"It looks really good!" the sales woman announced jovially, as she made her way back towards him.

His hands shook slightly, as he took the bracelet from her, running a finger over the chain, lightly. He inspected the charm, a blue and clear stone on one side, and their initials engraved in a fancy, cursive font on the other.

"Is that okay?"

"Y-yeah. It's perfect, thank you" he managed to croak out, receiving a smile in response.

"They're very lucky. I'm sure they'll love it."

"I hope so."

"Would you like it gift wrapped?"

"Um...Y-yes. Please."

Octavio could feel his hands getting sweaty again, as he watched her place the bracelet in an expensive looking box, and begin to expertly wrap it in some pretty paper. He nibbled on his bottom lip as she made small talk about the weather and how busy the store had been over the holiday season, while she worked. He wasn't really listening, unable to escape the tugging feeling in his chest, until a manicured finger touched the back of his hand lightly, regaining his attention.

"All done" she said, passing the wrapped parcel to him. "Is there anything else I can help you with today?"

"Uh...No. That's...that's it" he replied, reaching for his wallet to pay.

"Lovely. It was a pleasure. Have a nice day."

"Y-yeah, um...you too."

And with that, he turned to leave, clutching the gift close to his chest as he made his way towards the door. His heart was hammering in his chest, and everything seemed to slow down as his fingers grasped around the cool metal of the door handle. His mouth went dry, as he tried to swallow and he took a step back, pointing back towards the ring cabinet with clammy fingers.

"Actually, on second thought, I'm...I am interested in one of those."

Decision made.


	19. A New Year

"Holy shit, Silva" Ajay breathed. "What have ya gone and gotten yourself into?"

The runner pulled his knees into his chest, watching his friend on the other end of the couch.

"I don't know" he mumbled in response, unable to resist the urge to chew on his bottom lip as the medic inspected the ring box he'd given her.

She squealed when she opened it first, and squeezed him so tight he thought she may had bruised one of his ribs. She began blabbering on about how stupid he was, but how she was happy for them and how the ring looked so much prettier in real life than it had on screen. This continued for a few short moments until she noticed the look of uncertainty on her companion's face. He'd arrived at her door in some sort of panicked frenzy, as soon as he and Elliott had arrived back from their Solace trip. Ajay had put it down to excitement at first, but quickly learned that wasn't the case, which lead them to their current conversation.

"Look, I get now that we might have pressured you a little bit over the phone," she said, setting the box on the coffee table.

"No, it...wasn't like that," Octavio responded, shifting his weight around on the cushions. "I planned to get him a gift, and I did and then...I guess I just saw the...rings the lady started saying all this stuff and, when I tried to leave I just...couldn't."

"Sounds like quite the saleswoman. Respect."

"Yeah...She was."

"And all that means...what, exactly?"

"I don't know" Octavio sighed, scrubbing a hand through his hair, roughly.

Ajay rested her chin on her hand, squinting at the speedster with her fiery brown eyes, searching him.

"Alright. Now, tell me whatcha scared of."

"I'm not scared...of anything."

"Right."

Octavio rang his hands together, wondering when they'd gotten clammy.

"What if I'm just...not...not ready yet?" he hunched his shoulders forward, as he spoke, an action that didn't go unnoticed by the medic.

Ajay sank back into the couch, considering his words.

"Then be "not ready". That's fine. Just make sure Elliott doesn't find the ring, and ya golden."

"Yeah...about that…" the runner began, a hopeful look in his eyes.

"Nuh uh" the medic cut him off, shaking her head. "No way. I ain't keepin' a small fortune 'ere."

"Please, amiga?"

"No."

"Fine" Octavio huffed, swiping the box from the table and shoving it back in his pocket, before standing to leave, his expression changing to a playful smirk.

"You'd probably pawn it off, just to spite me anyways."

Ajay snorted at the remark, lightly kicking the back of his thigh with her foot.

"Damn right I would!"

A short while later, Octavio found himself in the living room of his own apartment, urgently trying to find a way to deal with this predicament. He had to find a good spot to hide the ring, to make sure it wouldn't be found. Perhaps behind his gaming stuff? It was rare for Elliott to touch those. Would it even be safe there? What if he forgot where it-

"Heyyy, good lookin'."

The speedster startled at the sound of his lover's voice, coming from behind him. He hadn't heard him approach, having been lost in thought. Something seemed off about his boyfriend. He stood almost too proudly, like he was trying too hard. However, Octavio didn't quite have time to worry about it right now.

"Uh, hey amor. If it isn't my favourite...you."

Elliott chuckled warmly at the statement, catching his partner in an embrace.

"What a coinkydink. You're my favourite you, too."

He placed a quick kiss on the runner's forehead before continuing.

"I wasn't expecting you back so soon. I was...uhh...just about to unpack our bags and do some laundry."

"My bag!" Octavio exclaimed, sensing an escape route. "Of course! I'll go do that right now!"

And with that, he took off towards their bedroom. He looked around frantically, for inspiration, deciding to just chuck the ring box inside his bedside table for now. He was strapped for time, after all, especially when he heard the sound of his boyfriend's footsteps following him.

When Elliott entered the room, he was greeted by the sight of Octavio standing next to their bed, with a bright smile on his face, which was just too innocent looking for his liking.

"What are you doing?" he asked cautiously, following the younger legend's movements as he crossed the room to where their luggage was waiting.

"I...told you I was going to unpack my bag! Just...unpacking."

The trickster hummed in response, and sat himself on the end of the bed, reaching a hand out to his partner.

"Here. Come sit with me for a sec."

Octavio toyed with the cuff of his sleeve nervously, but did as he was asked.

"What's up?"

"I just...wanted to make sure everything's okay, y'know? That...We're okay."

The runner swallowed so thickly, at the words, he was surprised he didn't emit an audible gulp.

"Why wouldn't we be okay?"

"No, uh...No real re-reason. It's...You were kind of quiet on the flight home-".

"So were you."

"...and...then you took off as soon as we got back so I thought maybe…," the trickster ran a hand through his beard, as he searched for the right words.

"Well, I don't really know what I thought."

"I'm good" Octavio assured him. "I think you're one of the only people who would complain about me being quiet."

"Oh, I'm not complaining" his boyfriend quipped back, causing him to shove the other playfully. "But point taken."

"It will be nice to have some free time to ourselves before the games start again" the speedster continued, as he flopped himself back onto the bed, stretching himself out.

"Yeah...but don't get too comfortable, babe" Elliott replied, an airy tone to his voice. "We still have my New Year's Eve party coming up."

Of course.

* * *

It didn't take long for the party to be in full swing. Elliott had ensured that they showed up "fashionably late," stating it was completely uncool to show up on time for your own event; a mindset Octavio could see his mother turning her nose up at. However, it was nice to walk into an already buzzing atmosphere. The occasion was being held on the Mirage Voyage, meaning part of the arena had been opened up to reporters, sponsors and investors who decided to make the trip to Talos, and some Apex staff who were lucky enough to have the night off. The outside area was thralling with fledglings, most of which were eager to rub elbows with people of importance as well as the Legends in attendance. However, since the party was being held as part of the winter event, Elliott was technically still working, and was immediately whisked away into a sea of reporters for interviews and pictures. He was majestic as he worked the room, receiving compliments left right and centre about how lovely his suit was, and how much everyone was enjoying the show he was putting on. He smiled and nodded along with them, and laughed at all the right moments. It was impossible for anyone to tell that he was carrying a huge weight on his shoulders tonight. The visit to his mom's was still playing on his mind, and what should be one of the highlights of his year, now left a sour tinge in his mouth when he thought about it. He hadn't been able to tell Octavio about his mother's condition, and if he was honest, he didn't really want to. He'd barely even had time to process it himself, and sharing the news made it...real. For now, all he had to do was smile, not make a fool of himself in front of the press and find the quickest route to the bar. He really needed a drink.

Having lost sight of his boyfriend well over an hour ago, Octavio decided it was time to mingle, and maybe snag a legend or two for a selfie. Those always ending up on the trending page. His interaction with the press had been quick and easy, only being asked what he thought of the event thus far, how his winter break went, and what his plans were going into the new year. He swung by the bar, for a quick pick-me-up and stood there for a bit, as he sipped on his energy drink. He checked his coat pocket, for what felt like the hundredth time that hour, making sure the bracelet he'd purchased was still snugly inside. He'd gone back and forth about the best time to give the trickster his gift, deciding tonight was as good a time as any. There was quite a crowd here, and he had to crane his neck for vision over the sea of heads, that bopped around to the music blaring into the room. He could just about make out Elliott's silhouette in the distance, chatting and laughing with a small group of people he sort of recognised, with a glass of something in hand. Deciding it was more fun to get out on the dance floor than crawl his way to his lover, he shimmied through the crowd towards Ajay, who was standing at the edge of the room with some of her fellow legends.

"I'm surprised you're not out there, amiga" he said cooly, as he approached the medic, pointing back towards the mass of dancing guests, he'd just come from.

"I could say the same about you" she quipped back. "But it's near impossible to get out there. And I don't feel like grinding up on some rich dude's suit, right now."

"I say we get out there!" Gibraltar announced, slapping his hands on his thighs as he stood, before dragging them both towards the crowd, shoving people aside as necessary. "Coming through, bruddahs. Make room for, Gibraltar!"

They danced for as long as they possibly could. Octavio would have been able to go for longer of course, but decided to follow the others off the dance floor, quickly having grown tired of Pathfinder's requests to "do the robot dance". He checked his phone, and noting it was now almost midnight, looked around for his partner again. Just as he was beginning to lose all hope of ever finding him in this crowd, he felt a hand slide onto his hip. He moved to shove back against the gesture on instinct, before realising who it was.

"Damn," Elliott said, holding up his hands in mock defense. "Excuse me for thinking you might want to ring in the new year, with your handsome boyfriend."

"Actually...Now that you mention it…" the speedster spoke back, his words slow and deliberate, as he snaked arm around his partner. "I could be swayed."

"Good, because I've hooked us all up with a pretty cool way of seeing the fireworks" the trickster replied, taking Octavio's hand in his own, and gesturing to the rest of the legends with the other.

"Let's go, kids. You're not gonna want to miss this."

A short while later, Octavio found himself on the roof of the ship, huddling close to his lover and surrounded by his friends, who were chattering excitedly. Everyone was periodically checking their phones and watches, waiting for the right moment to begin their countdown. It was the group of fledglings below them, who began counting down first, causing the legends to do the same.

"10"

"9"

"8"

"7"

"6"

"5"

"4"

"3"

"2"

"1"

"Happy New Year!"

The boat erupted with sounds of clapping and cheering, while fireworks soared into the air, creating colourful bursts across the night sky. It was captivating, and Octavio hadn't even noticed he was bouncing excitedly on the balls of the feet, until he was brought back to reality by a warm hand being placed on his cheek. He turned and was met by a much more enchanting sight, as a pair of brown eyes locked with his hazel ones. His skin tingled as he and Elliott kissed, like the fireworks themselves had decided to erupt their magic in his veins.

"Get a room, you two!" Ajay jokingly called out. "You're ruining the view!"

"Get lost, Che! We _are _the view!" the runner quipped back.

"Ignore her" Elliott murmured quietly into his ear, tilting the younger legend's face back towards him, so he could place another soft kiss on his lips.

"Happy New Year, babe."

"Happy New Year, cariño."

Octavio tucked a hand into his pocket, his fingers brushing over the gift wrapped parcel inside. He wouldn't get a more perfect opportunity that this, right? However, before he could even get a word out, everyone's attention was drawn to the sound of whooping and cheering downstairs.

"I guess that means the food is here" Elliott chuckled, before adding with a wink, "_Someone_ may have pulled a string or two to get some of your favourites for tonight. You hungry?"

"Uh, yeah. A little. But-".

"Great! I'll meet you downstairs then."

"Why? Where are you going now?" the runner asked, as he watched his lover turn away from him.

"Bathroom" the trickster replied, sheepishly. "Didn't want to ruin the moment by mentioning I was dying for a leak that whole time."

Octavio sighed to himself as he followed the remaining legends back downstairs, to grab some food. Why was this romantic crap always so difficult? He hated waiting, but he supposed he would have to.

So, he waited. And waited. And waited. He checked his phone, after he had shoved the last of his fries into his mouth. Elliott had been gone for almost an hour. How long was the queue for the bathroom? Did he even have to queue when he technically owned the place? He wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve, as he discarded his plate, folding his now free hands over his chest. What was Elliott's deal?

"You look thirsty, mon ami" Natalie mused, as she approached him, offering him a glass of lemonade.

"That's one word for it" the speedster replied begrudgingly, taking the glass.

It felt cold on his fingers.

"Something on your mind?"

"Have you seen Elliott?"

"Non. Not since the fireworks. Weren't they just wonderful?! Trés magnifique!"

Octavio downed his drink, smacking his lips thoughtfully before speaking.

"You wanna dance or something, amiga? This party kind of blows."

The electrician opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by the sound of her companion's phone chiming. The runner fished the device from his pocket to find a text from Anita:

"_Come to the front of the ship. I don't get paid enough to deal with this shit."_

Octavio, deciding he had nothing better to do at this point, rushed to the front of the boat, expecting some drunk patrons or the soldier being chatted up by some hopeful fledgling. But that wasn't the case at all. He rounded the corner to find Anita standing off to the side, while Ajay was crouched in the corner, attempting to console somebody. And of course, that somebody had to be Elliott.

"What's going on here?" he asked, trying to be as gentle as possible as he moved to kneel beside the medic and his sniffling partner.

"Here, Elliott. Tav's here now. You want to talk to him, yeah?"

Ajay patted Octavio's back sympathetically, as she stood to go, leaving him to attend to his partner.

"What's going on, amor?"

The trickster didn't respond, instead opting to bury his tear stained face in his hands.

"Did you have too much to drink?" the runner persisted, sliding his fingers onto his boyfriend's knees, providing a comforting weight.

"I wa-want t-to go home" Elliott cried. "I've had enough of th-this st-stupid party."

"Did something happen? Come on, Ell. Talk to me. Whose ass am I kicking, eh?"

"I...can't be here anymore," his partner continued to snivel. "Every t-time I look around I..._everything_...the decoys...It's...m-making me th-think about my...my mom."

"That's okay" Octavio spoke softly. "People get homesick sometimes."

"No" Elliott spoke, shaking his head.

He seemed to take a few deep breaths before continuing.

"She's...n-not...doing so good."

His words felt like a crushing weight on the runner's shoulders.

"What...happened? Is she sick?"

The trickster nodded dolefully.

"She...has dem-...dementia."

It took some time for Octavio to absorb and understand the news he'd just been given. He didn't know what to say, finding his words were failing him.

"Fuck."

"Y-yeah."

"Elliott...I'm so sorry. I don't know...what to say."

"Yeah. Me neither" Elliott replied, his voice quivering. "She's...just gonna forget. _Everything_. And there's n-nothing I can do about it."

Octavio wiggled his way between the trickster's knees, pulling him into a tight hug, while he continued to mummer words into his chest.

"Why is...Why can't m-my life just be easy? Just for once?"

"I don't know."

The runner could feel his weight get heavier in his arms as he let out a dejected sigh.

"I...don't want her to forget m-me."

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Octavio asked, as he stepped back into their bedroom.

It was the morning after the party, though technically it was now afternoon, and the runner had decided to take their morning hot beverage routine into his own hands this time, given the circumstances. He settled a cup of hot tea into his partner's hands, before clambering back onto the bed, attempting to not spill his own coffee in the process.

"Besides feeling like the worst son in the world?" Elliott replied, wistfully. "Okay. I guess."

"You're not the worst son in the world" Octavio reassured him. "Trust me. I'd know."

Elliott ran the tip of his finger around the rim of his mug, his brows furrowing in thought.

"I just feel like I should be with her, y'know? Not out here. I mean...Fuck, what am I even doing out _here_ in the first place?"

"Your job?"

"Yeah…".

"Mira...This must be a lot to take in. Don't beat yourself up over it," the speedster said, adjusting himself to sit cross-legged, facing his partner. "I just wish you would have said something sooner. You don't need to carry that weight on your own, and I don't know if you've noticed but I've been working out more. I can carry a _lot_."

The trickster chuckled quietly as he watched the younger legend flex his arm, to demonstrate his point, before reaching out to take his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"What would I do if I didn't have you?"

"Your life would be a lot more boring, for a start" Octavio quipped, causing his boyfriend to laugh again.

He stayed quiet after that, taking long sips of his tea, while the runner drained the remainder of his coffee and was considering going back to the kitchen for seconds, until the trickster decided to speak up again.

"When you were gone to Ajay's the other day, I was th-thinking about all this...stuff, and how...overwhelming it kind of is and I...felt so bad, I got really t-tempted to…", he trailed off, searching for the right words, before deciding to just settle his hand across his stomach. "Do...uh..._that_."

"Elliott...I should've been here…".

"No, I...I'm kind of happy you weren't here."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, because...I didn't do it. And before I sort of...wouldn't do it because you were here and felt kind of...I don't know. Disrespectful? Or s-something. But this time...I did it for...me? Does that make sense? I don't even know why I'm bringing it up."

Octavio shrugged casually, despite feeling a satisfying buzz on the inside.

"I think it's pretty cool that we can talk about that stuff now. Being...open. Or whatever."

"Yeah" Elliott nodded in agreement, leaving his now empty mug on the bedside table. "I guess it does feel pretty nice. Anywho, I feel like I've been super depressing all morning so, how are you? Did you have fun at the party...before all _that_ stuff happened?"

"Yeah, it was pretty good" Octavio responded. "I...didn't really get to do everything I wanted to though."

"Oh really?" the trickster replied, sounding a tad surprised as he turned himself in the bed to give him his full attention. "Do you want to pass your complaints onto the host? I hear he's a pretty cool guy. Most of the time."

"Actually...I have a better idea!" Octavio announced, as he slid off the bed, to begin rummaging in his jacket, which had been discarded to the floor earlier that morning. "Close your eyes!"

Elliott did as he was told, and kept his eyes shut, despite being incredibly tempted to open them, especially when he felt his partner's weight on the bed again, and his hand being lifted and turned over, as something was placed into it.

"Okay, you can open them now!"

"Oh!" was all the trickster could get out when he opened his eyes to see a pristinely wrapped gift sitting in his palm. "Is this for me?"

"Uh huh!" his partner responded, nodding eagerly.

Elliott traced his finger along the gift's edge, musing over what might be inside, as he admired the expensive looking wrapping paper, which only caused the younger of the two to grow more and more impatient by the second.

"Come on, hurry up! Open it, open it! Rápido!"

"Okay, okay! I'm moving" the trickster chuckled, as he began to undo the wrapping, careful to not tear the nice paper too much.

He paused after he had carefully opened the box, finding a pretty bracelet inside.

"Oh...wow…".

"So? What do you think? Do you like it?" the speedster asked nervously, tapping his fingers against his thigh, as he watched the scene unfold.

He was hopeful that Elliott would like it, but that didn't stop his heart from sinking when he noticed his lover's eyes begin to well up with tears.

"Oh...no. Did I get it wrong? Do you hate it?"

The trickster shook his head, quickly wiping at the damp patches under his eyes with his fingers.

"No, I...I love it! I'm just...a real wreck today. Sorry."

"That's okay," the runner spoke, leaning over to pat his lover's knee. "And don't worry. I won't tell anyone that my boyfriend is a massive softie."

The pair laughed at the statement, before Elliott's attention returned to the gift he'd been given. He ran his fingers over the delicate chain lighty, admiring the charm attached to it.

"How did you…".

"I did a little shopping in the city" Octavio informed him, shrugging nonchalantly.

"But...why?"

"Because...I love you...and stuff", the runner said, continuing his casual ruse. "I don't think I need more of a reason than that."

Elliott sighed contently, as he set the box in his lap so he could take both of his partner's hands in his own.

"You are too much for my soft little heart sometimes. But thank you. I...really love it."

"Cool! I'm glad. And...maybe a little relieved. You know fashion isn't really my speciality."

"I think you did a pretty good job" the trickster hummed, taking the bracelet from the box. "Should I try it on?"

"I'd honestly be a little offended if you didn't" Octavio quipped back, taking the bracelet in his hands, as it was offered to him.

"If you wouldn't mind doing the honours, my love."

After a few moments of fumbling, and perhaps even a swear or two, Octavio managed to secure the bracelet, securely around his lover's wrist and sat back to admire his handiwork.

"It looks good on you," he commented. "But then again, everything does."

"It's actually super comfortable" the trickster added, moving his arm around to show how little it moved around on him.

"You're missing out on the coolest part though!" the runner spoke, his words full of enthusiasm, as he took hold of the trickster's arm to compare the bracelet to the ring on his finger. "Mira! We match!"

"We do," Elliott hummed contentedly, taking his boyfriend's hand to his lips, placing a soft kiss on the back of it. "We really do."


	20. A Normal Couple

"Does it hurt when I press here?"

"No", Octavio replied, biting down on his lip as a pressure was applied to the area around his hip.

"This benefits no one, unless you're truthful", the doctor told him, continuing to press and feel around the area. "You don't need to lie to me. I can tell it's causing you discomfort."

"Fine," the runner huffed. "It hurts."

The doctor hummed thoughtfully, tapping something onto his tablet.

"Do you ever experience a feeling of stiffness?"

"Um...yeah. Sometimes. Normally the day after an intense game," Octavio explained, toying with his fingers. "Or, after um..._other_ erm...activities."

"After intercourse?"

"Do you have to call it that?" the speedster shuddered. "It's so...cringe."

"Turn around. Hands on the bed," the doctor spoke, giving him a disapproving look over his glasses.

Octavio did as he was told, biting down on his lip again as gloved hands began feeling around his lower back.

"Any pain here?"

"A little...Mostly on the right side."

"Is your right leg your most dominant one?"

"I...think so?"

"I see," the medical professional spoke, stepping away to tap on his tablet again. "You can put your shirt back on now."

"So, what's the verdict, doc?" Octavio asked, pulling his vest over his head and hopping onto the medical bed. "Am I all good?"

"I think what's _cringe_ here, is that you obviously haven't been following the programme the medical team designed for you."

"What are you talking about?!" the runner protested. "I take my meds everyday!"

"Yes, because you're in pain, which shouldn't be the case," the doctor explained, removing his glasses and placing them on his desk. "Not as frequently as you are anyway. You should be following your physio plan. Adapting your workouts to include exercises that-".

"I'm doing just fine as I am, doc."

"Octavio, I can't stress the importance of taking your condition seriously. You are aware of the risks that come with wearing your prosthetics, yes? Just the weight alone-".

"But I don't wear them all the time! I have others!"

"...can have detrimental effects on your joints and muscles. Think of your future. You must combat possible movement difficulties now, while you're still young and your body can adjust and be resilient to wear and tear."

"I really don't think it's that serious."

"It is," the doctor told him, his tone firm. "If you want to continue your life the way it is now, you'll start taking this very seriously."

* * *

"I'm home!" Octavio announced, as he entered the apartment, making his way into the bedroom. "Elliott?"

"I'm in the shower!" his partner called back, from the adjacent room.

"Why hello there", he said teasingly, as he entered the bathroom, stopping to lean against the countertop. "How strange, running into you here."

"You're so funny," Elliott replied, raising his voice slightly over the sound of the running water. "How did your check up go?"

"Great! I'm good to continue kicking ass!"

Elliott hummed in acknowledgment, washing the suds from his body.

"Y'know...I've got room in here for one more, if you're interested."

"Hell yes!" the runner exclaimed, quickly removing his clothes and hopping into the shower. He paused to run his hands over his boyfriend's exposed chest.

"How could I resist the chance to get my hands on all this?"

Elliott chuckled quietly, promptly placing his hands firmly on his partner's shoulders, turning him around.

"Unfortunately for you, I'm not dirty anymore."

"I beg to differ, mi amor."

Octavio sighed contentedly as Elliott applied some body wash to a washcloth and began working it along his shoulders. He rolled his head back, absorbing the attention, completely relaxed, until his partner spoke up.

"Tav?"

"Mmm?"

"When you texted to say you were on your way home, I...went on your laptop…".

"Mmhmm."

"And I checked your email."

Octavio's eyes shot open.

"You what?!"

"I needed to see if they sent you a plan or...a new prescription or something!"

"That's an invasion of my privacy!"

"But you don't tell me anything!"

"So, what?! You get me naked so you can interrogate me?!" Octavio huffed, quickly grabbing a towel, draping it over his shoulders and getting out of the shower, before stomping off towards the bedroom.

"Babe?" Elliott called after him, wrapping a towel around his own waist, before following his partner back into their bedroom. "Babe, come on. Don't be like that. I'm sorry."

"I don't want to talk about this right now," Octavio responded, tugging on his underwear.

He quickly skirted by his approaching partner to sit on the edge of their bed.

"Tav…," the trickster sighed, coming to kneel in front of his lover. "I read the notes they sent you, and I think it's important we do talk about it now, when we can do something about it."

The younger legend looked away, sticking out his bottom lip, until Elliott's fingers came to rest on his jaw, forcing him to look at him.

"Do you not want to be able to keep wearing your prosthetics when you're older?"

"I don't wanna think about it at all!" Octavio whined, receiving a pointed look from the trickster in response.

"I did things I didn't want to do, for you," Elliott told him, as he got to his feet.

"That was completely different!"

"I don't think so."

He shoved the younger legend back onto the bed playfully, leaning over him so he could whisper in his ear.

"So stop being a whiny little bitch for once in your life and do as you're told."

"Fine," Octavio grumbled, begrudgingly rolling over onto his stomach and burying his face in his pillow. "But you're gonna have to help me with some of them."

"Of course," the trickster replied, a triumphant tone to his voice. "Just let me throw some clothes on and we'll get started."

Octavio lifted his head up, peering over his shoulder at his partner who was making his way to their closet, a mischievous grin spreading to his face.

"Aw, amor...do you have to?"

* * *

"Ow. That hurts. Ow. _Ow_."

Elliott looked up from his boyfriend's leg which he was holding in his hands, exasperated.

"How do you expect me to do this if you're complaining that every stretch hurts?"

"Because it does!"

"All you have to do is move your leg out. Stop resisting!"

"I'm not!"

"Look, all I'm saying is, I never had a problem getting you to spread your legs for me before," the trickster quipped, causing the younger legend to snort into his pillow.

"According to the doctor, mi amor, that's one of the reasons I'm in the mess in the first place."

"Oh sure. Blame me," Elliott laughed, swatting Octavio's butt lightly. "Okay, next one. It says...You need to sit on the floor, hands firmly on your knees and lean forward while keeping pressure on your knees."

"Wow. That might actually do something if I still had my knees," Octavio said sarcastically, smirking when he noticed his partner rolling his eyes.

"Tav, please…".

"How did your check up go?" the runner asked, just wanting to change the subject at this point.

"Fine," Elliott replied, leaning back on his elbows casually. "Well...they said my blood pressure was a tiny bit high, but once I explained all the, uh, stuff happening with mom they said it might be stress related."

"And?" ;

"And…," he seemed to let out a breath before continuing. "And...we were talking about y'know, my meds and stuff and I asked about maybe starting to lower the dosage a little because I feel okay."

"And what did they say?"

"They asked if I had put any more thought into trying therapy again and...I said yeah," Elliott concluded, his shoulders untensing slightly like he was pleased with himself.

"That's...good, right?" Octavio asked, scooting closer to his boyfriend. "They're not forcing you into it, are they?"

"No, no. It's not like that," Elliott replied, shaking his head and brushing away any stray curls that fell into his eyes in the process. "I...kind of want to go. I feel like I'd be able to do a couple of sessions without freaking out this time. I mean...I'm not promising anything but I'm gonna try my best."

"You are gonna kick therapy's ass!" the speedster said enthusiastically, causing his partner to laugh, before sighing. "If you're doing that, I guess that means I'm gonna have to take my plan more seriously."

"Yes. It does," Elliott said, reaching out for Octavio's hand to give it a gentle squeeze.

Octavio shuffled closer, resting his head on his lover's chest as they lay back on the bed together, in a comfortable silence.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but...sometimes I wish our lives could be a little more...boring?"

"I can't believe it either," the trickster chuckled, brushing his fingers lovingly up and down his partner's arm. "I think we're doing alright. I'm definitely more bored here than I was in the city."

"Yeah, that's true but...when was the last time we did something fun and something bad or...sad didn't happen? Or we just did it because we wanted to and not because we had an obligation to the games."

"Are you saying I'm not fun?" Elliott gasped softly, feigning offence. "I'm _hurt_, Octavio."

"Shut up," the runner laughed, elbowing him playfully. "You know what I mean."

"Boring lives," his partner mused, out loud. "Okay, I'll indulge you. What would our boring lives look like?"

Octavio rolled onto his stomach, propping himself up with his elbows while he thought the question over.

"We would...have more freedom to do whatever we want. We could order take out whenever we felt like it and...travel more! You said you wanted to do that. To see all the planets and stuff. We would do that. And we'd find all the best parties and events to go to…".

"That doesn't sound very boring," Elliott chuckled.

"I didn't mean boring as in..._boring_", Octavio clarified, toying with his fingers. "I meant...just do stuff like normal couples do. But just sometimes. I don't wanna be... super _bored_."

"Your idea of normal is so funny," the trickster hummed, receiving a confused look from his partner.

"Why? What's your idea of normal, amor?"

Elliott stretched his arms over his head, brown eyes appearing to shimmer as he thought of his answer. He turned himself into his side, resting his head on his hand as he began to speak.

"We would...leave here. When we're ready. And we would move back to Solace. We'd finally get our own place…".

"What would that look like?"

The trickster ran a hand over his beard, considering it.

"I always wanted a house outside the city. But not too far. Maybe like...we could buy a whole ranch just for us. I could...be like...a farmer or something?"

Octavio snorted into his hands at the thought.

"I can't picture it."

"I always kind of wanted to grow some of my own vegetables. Like my grandpa used to," Elliott shrugged, nonchalantly. "Or...brew my own beer. Or maybe even try to expand on what mom was doing with her holo-tech."

He paused for a moment, looking uncertain.

"Now that I think about it…I don't really know what I want to do after this. I...guess I never thought I'd really have a life after the games."

"Keep going," Octavio said, his voice quiet. "What else would we do?"

"Well," the trickster continued. "You already know we're getting a dog."

"Si."

"And...a couple of kids running around, would be nice."

"_One_ kid."

"I was thinking more like...three?"

"Three?!"

"Yeah, why not? If my mom could raise four on her own, I'm sure we can manage just fine."

"Alright," Octavio sighed. "And then what?"

"Then we do the _boring_ stuff," Elliott answered, with some finality to his voice. "Argue over what colour to paint the nursery, and laugh about it later when we're up to our elbows in dirty diapers because it didn't even matter. Walk the dog. Family dinners every weekend. Grow old and die within a week of each other."

"Sounds...really _boring_", Octavio quipped. "But...maybe not in a bad way."

"Let's hope you have the same attitude when you're doing night feeds," the trickster chuckled.

Octavio rolled his eyes, amused.

"Bitch please. I'll be the king of night feeds, in comparison to you, Mr "I would sleep through an earthquake"."

"Okay, maybe you have a point there," Elliott replied, sliding his hand onto his partner's hip fondly.

* * *

"Come on, compadres. Peek. I dare you," Octavio muttered, aiming his gun towards the cluster of rocks in the near distance.

He knew they were hiding there; a group of fledglings who thought they could make it into the big leagues faster than he did. They were obnoxious really, but there was one in particular he had his eye on. Well, he was trying to have an eye on them all but they hadn't moved from behind that rock in a while, and he was starting to get impatient. He knew he had the upper hand in this, having set up in one of the buildings in Geyser already.

"Too scared to give me a show, huh? Ring's coming soon, amigos. Hurry up, I'm getting bored."

His fingers tapped on the barrel of his gun, impatiently. It was hard to keep still with all this anticipation building.

"You know it's pretty hot when you get all serious and competitive like this," Elliott piped up from behind him, diverting his attention to the trickster momentarily.

"I want to win," Octavio replied simply, squinting at the rock again.

If he had laser beams for eyes, they'd be dead by now.

"And win we shall," Elliott continued, pausing to blow a cheeky kiss to the camera flying by outside. "We'll look incredible on that winner's podium. What other team knows how to coordinate outfits like we do? Me, the local Folk Hero…", he said, resting a hand on his chest before gesturing wildly in his partner's direction. "And you...Red Mist."

"Red Shift," Octavio corrected him.

"Of course. Beautiful. Just beautiful," the trickster carried on. "Both of us. But especially me."

The speedster hummed in accordance. Normally, he'd be the first one to play up Elliott's Mirage antics with him. The fans ate it up. But he really wanted to win this fight, and couldn't have Elliott's performance distracting him; or his butt in that suit. They were already down a teammate. The trickster noticed his boyfriend's sudden disinterest, and it forced him to break character. He moved his hand onto his opposite arm, with the intention of toying with the strap, securing his holo-gear, before membering this suit didn't have that crutch. Instead, he rested his hands on his hips and took a few tentative steps towards his partner.

"You...have a real hard on for that team, huh? Should I be concerned about them?" he asked, his voice becoming quieter before continuing. "Or you?"

"I want them dead," the runner said bluntly. "Especially the one in orange."

"Okay, you want 'em dead, we'll take them out," Elliott shrugged nonchalantly, and leaned against the wall. "You got some sort of vendetta on these guys, I don't know about?"

"Something like that," Octavio said, shifting his position slightly in an attempt to get a better angle on them.

"What happened? I like to know my motivation before handing out ass whoopings," the trickster quipped, with a small laugh.

"He bumped into me in the hall the other day."

"Uh huh."

"And he ate the last pain au chocolat at group breakfast. I wanted that."

Elliott slid a hand through his curls, a sigh escaping him.

"Tav…".

He looked up, after that, interrupted by the blaring noise over head, signalling the ring was now moving.

"Finally!" Octavio exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "Let's go, let's go! They're gonna have to move now! Dios Mio, this game has been so slow!"

"You got it," Elliott concurred, unholstering his Wingman, giving it a flashy twirl around his fingers. "It's showtime."

Like most of Octavio's game plans, this one was rushed and disorderly; something Elliott didn't usually mind. He thrived in chaos. It allowed him to pull off some satisfying bamboozles and sneak up on their opponents with little effort. However, this time, it didn't quite work out in their favour; something Elliott quickly realised upon waking up in the medical bay. He stretched himself out before rolling onto his side and sitting up, smiling to himself when he noticed his partner laying in the bed opposite him.

"Hey."

"Hey."

Elliott slid off his bed, the mattress protector crinkling as he did so. He rubbed the stiffness from his wrist as he sat down on the edge of his partner's bed, who appeared to be feeling sorry for himself.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"I know you're disappointed," Elliott said, giving his hand a comforting squeeze. "But you know how it is. When it gets down to the last few squads like that, it's anyone's game."

"It's not that. We'll get them next time," the runner said, as he sat up, though his tone was dispirited.

"Then what's bothering you?"

Octavio looked up at his partner, shoulders hunched slightly, with his big hazel eyes holding nothing but innocence and serenity.

"It's just...how am I meant to raise a kid when I can't even avenge my breakfast properly?"

The trickster blinked a few times, the corners of his mouth curling into an uncontainable smile, as he processed what he'd just heard. He swallowed, and bit on the inside of his cheek, but inevitably lost the battle against his laughter, which came out in a loud splutter, surprising his partner.

"What's so funny?!"

"You are."

"What? How?"

Elliott wiped at the tear speckles in the corner of his eyes, before resting his hand on the back of the younger legend's head, bringing him close so he could kiss the top of it.

"Because you're just so...You," he hummed fondly. "You're funny."

Octavio opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. Both men turned to see a young nurse eyeing them, before quickly excusing themselves.

"Um...excuse me uh, gentlemen, but Dr. Finley wants to see Octavio."

The runner rolled his eyes.

"That guy again?"

"I'm sure it's nothing," Elliott soothed, rubbing his partner's back gently. "Go. I'll see you at home."

* * *

_**Elliott**__: I have an idea. Meet me outside. _

Octavio squinted at the text on his phone as he left the medical wing. It was always exciting when Elliott had an idea out of the blue like this, but the fact that it was apparently happening outside made him question what it could possibly be.

"You took your time," the trickster quipped, hands buried in his pockets, as he watched his partner approach. "For a fast guy, you're pretty slow."

Octavio stuck his tongue out at him.

"What's this idea you have?" he asked curiously, while his boyfriend offered him his arm.

Elliott didn't say anything for a moment, as they walked arm in arm towards the ship yard, subtly slipping something to the guard at the gate as they walked inside.

"I'm taking you on a date," he said. "Y'know...like _normal_ couples do."

"I'm not really dressed for a date," the runner pointed out, gesturing to his game gear that he was still wearing.

"And somehow you still look incredible," Elliott hummed, giving his partner's arm a light squeeze.

They took a small ship back out the arena, and Octavio couldn't help but grin cheekily, when they ended up at the Mirage Voyage and began to wonder what else he could have expected.

"I should've known we'd end up here," he quipped, watching as his boyfriend did a small twirl upon entering the bar area.

"Of course," Elliott said, moving to step behind the bar. "It's only the finest establishment this side of Solace. And...well, I can't help but want to get my worth out of this place."

He ran his hands over the bar top fondly, feeling completely at home.

"Now, what can I get you?"

"Surprise me," the runner said, leaning against the opposite side of the bar. "No decoys working tonight?"

"No. I thought tonight I might be a little more…", Elliott paused to wink before continuing. "Hands on."

He searched around for any mixing equipment he might need.

"So, do you come here often?" he joked, causing his partner to snort.

"Some times. But normally there are a lot more hot guys hanging around."

He watched as the trickster pretended to muse over what he could possibly create, stroking his beard thoughtfully to add to the drama. He mixed a small variety of non-alcoholic ingredients together, before pouring it into a tall glass, adding a cherry and paper umbrella for the speedster's enjoyment. Octavio took a large gulp from the glass, nodding enthusiastically when the sweet tropical flavours rolled over his tongue.

"Good?"

"Mmhmm."

"Well, if you think that's good, wait till you see what else I have in store for you."

Octavio allowed his spare hand to be taken as Elliott led him towards a pile of cushions and blankets, set out on the floor next to the hot tub. The runner's nostrils twitched, when he noticed the servicing tray nearby that was still covered, keeping it's contents warm.

"Hungry?" Elliott asked, as they settled themselves against the cushions, though he already knew the answer.

It was Octavio after all.

"Starving."

They spent the evening snacking on the finger food Elliott had provided, and chatting about their day and the latest gossip to hit the Apex compound.

"So...like I was saying, I think he's hiding something," Octavio continued, his tone dropping slightly, like he was sharing some big conspiracy.

He sounded quite serious, and Elliott may have even taken him seriously if he didn't have BBQ sauce smeared all over his mouth right now.

"You think the mysterious Crypto who sits in his room all day and barely ever speaks to anyone, is hiding something?" he replied, a hint of amusement to his voice.

Octavio was lucky he was cute; BBQ sauce or not.

"Maybe it sounds crazy but...I just know it," the runner said, nodding to emphasise his point.

"Honestly, I think we have more important things to discuss", Elliott remarked, stretching his hands over his head, allowing his shoulder to emit a satisfying crack.

"Like what?" Octavio asked, wiping his face clean with a napkin, until his partner nodded to the single remaining piece of chicken.

"Who gets the last wing?"

Octavio smirked, quickly getting to his knees and leaning over his boyfriend, bringing their faces close so they were almost touching.

"It goes to whoever wins."

"Oh?" Elliott questioned, flirtatiously. "Now, you've got my attention."

"I'm glad," Octavio hummed, his expression quickly turning to one of mischief, as he swatted his lover's butt lightly, before jumping up and sprinting away. "You're it!"

"Hey, Tav wait!" Elliott called after him, watching the younger legend as he vaulted through the back window of the room, with a laugh.

He landed on the lower deck, and the trickster decided to follow him, despite being left somewhat flustered after his partner's earlier display.

Elliott jogged slowly across the deck, to the backroom of the ship. There was nowhere else the runner could be hiding.

"Tav?" he called out, when he entered the room.

His eyes scanned the small area, looking under the seat and coffee table.

"Tav?" he called again, making his way down the stairs.

His head whipped around when he heard a quiet giggle, just in time to see the speedster dash out from behind the obnoxious Mirage statue, and take a sharp turn back onto the deck.

"Get back here you little shit!"

"You're just lucky I don't have my stim belt!" Octavio taunted, as he continued to run, laughing all the while.

Elliott eventually caught up to him at the front of the ship, when he'd run up against the railing there, cornering himself.

"Victory is mine!" he announced, dramatically stalking towards his partner like he was prey, and snaking his arms around him. "I'm gonna savour every bite of that wing!""

He was momentarily stunned, but not unpleasantly so, when Octavio placed a gloved hand onto both of his cheeks, pulling him down into a tender kiss. When he regained his senses, he slid his own hands under his partner's buttocks, lifting him onto the railing. Octavio wrapped his legs around him, while the cool night air tousled their hair and nipped at their skin, forcing them closer together. Their kiss deepened, until they had no choice but to part for air. Octavio snuggled into his partner contentedly, while Elliott rested his chin on his head, as they looked out over the landscape of World's Edge; It seemed so peaceful without a game in full swing, almost like it was a different place entirely.

"I think this is the only type of boring I'm into," the runner murmured into his chest, causing his boyfriend to laugh.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"That's a shame," Elliott playfully, making the younger legend look up at him, a confused look on his face.

"Why?"

"I was kind of hoping you'd be up for a little dip in the hot tub."

"But I didn't bring my bathing suit," Octavio replied, a coy smile on his face.

The trickster shrugged, feigning innocence.

"Me neither."

"Then that sounds perfect. Screw being boring!"

"Don't be silly, we have tonnes of time to be boring!"

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah," Elliott replied, taking his partner's hand as he hopped down from the railing, giving it a gentle squeeze. "We have the rest of our lives for that."


	21. Octavio's Birthday

Octavio stirred against the sheets, and rolled over onto his stomach so he could bury his face in the pillow, keeping his vision dark for just a little while longer. He didn't want to wake up yet, which was unusual for him. He was often awake early, and hopping out of bed, eager to take on the day. But today was different. Today was his birthday. His experience of aging was lackluster, to say the least. When he was young, he would get an expensive gift in the morning and the promise of cake after dinner that would often go forgotten until just before bedtime. There was one year his parents had fought so much, that his father retired to his home office with a bottle of expensive whisky and there was no presents or cake. He cried a lot that night, burying his nose into his stuffed toy rabbit. When his nanny had come to check on him, she found a snotty nosed little boy who had already tucked himself in for the night, so she brought him a cupcake from the kitchen. It was vanilla flavoured, and sat on his bedside table all night to go stale. His dad took him to a fast food drive-thru a week later. His eighteenth birthday was the first time he remembers doing anything particularly special. He had a small group of friends who suggested they go on a camping trip. Ajay had told him they were a bad influence and were only using him for his credit card. But he didn't care. He snuck out and was gone for the weekend, to sleep on one of Psamathe's lesser known beaches. It was a good time, he thinks. He had bought them all so much booze, he doesn't really remember. What he does remember, is being incredibly sick for two days when he came home, along with a lot of yelling from his parents. His last couple of birthdays were either spent alone, finding some dangerous stunt to do or travelling to see Ajay so they could go clubbing together. He liked an excuse to party, but birthdays? It was safe to say they weren't really his thing.

He sat at the breakfast bar, dangling his legs from the stool and wrapped his fingers around a steaming mug of black coffee. He had decided there was no point staying in bed; it was just a regular day. He scrolled through his social media, liking all of the comments wishing him a happy birthday and resharing fanart he'd been tagged in for the occasion. It was still pretty awesome that all these people he didn't know were thinking of him today. Though, the thought made him think of the people he did know, and he couldn't help but go into his messages. He had one from Ajay that was just a cake and middle finger emojis, which made him snort. He scrolled down a little further to his and his father's chat. Sometimes he remembered to text, but not this time. He set his phone aside, with a sigh, laying it face down on the countertop. Snaking both hands around his mug, he lifted it to his lips, allowing the heat to seep into his fingers, making them tingle, before taking a sip. He turned his head when he heard the bedroom door being opened, to reveal a very groggy Elliott. Octavio smiled appreciatively at the sight, while the trickster brushed his sleep tousled curls from his eyes, wearing only an oversized Octane branded t-shirt and his underwear.

"Hey," he said quietly, his voice still low and gravelly from sleep.

"Morning."

Elliott's bare feet barely made a sound on the wooden flooring, as he stepped towards him and wrapped his arms around him, placing a series of kisses to his temple. He dipped his face lower, burying it in the crook of the runner's neck, nuzzling it in a way that made the younger legend laugh.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," he murmured against his skin, kissing behind his ear gently.

Octavio hummed fondly, leaning back into the warmth of his partner's touch.

"Thank you."

"I was hoping I'd be up before you," the trickster admitted, moving to rest his elbows on the counter. "I was hoping to surprise you with a nice breakfast."

"That's alright," Octavio replied, absentmindedly turning his mug in circles. "I didn't know you were going to be up so early. I would have got your tea ready."

"Eh, I think it's gonna be coffee for me this morning anyways," his boyfriend said, stepping to the other side of the kitchen to pour himself a cup. "I'll make us something nice to eat. I feel bad that we have to work today, with it being your birthday and all."

The speedster shrugged casually and drained the remainder of his coffee from his mug.

"It's whatever. I'd rather be outside anyways."

Octavio wasn't the biggest fan of these "training" sessions. They were far less exciting than a scrim or an actual game, though the organisers insisted on their importance. They were no contact, so there was no fighting allowed. The point, he was told, was for everyone to get more familiar with the arena, weapons and their abilities and equipment, because apparently squads running around looking lost made for poor television. Octavio thought it made the games more predictable, and predictable was boring. But the worst part was being paired with fledglings. He never seemed to be able to click with them and being the only legend on the squad, automatically assigned him to the role of mentor. He wasn't the best at explaining things or answering their questions, and if he had his way, these training sessions wouldn't even be a thing. Keeping everyone else poorly prepared made him look good. Not that he needed the help, of course. He stood on the crowded dropship, absentmindedly picking at his nails while his squad argued over which gun was the best option for a close ranged fight.

"What do you think, Octane?"

He looked up to see his squad staring at him, expectantly.

"Huh?"

"What do you think?"

He paused his assault on his cuticles to answer.

"R-99. _Obviously_."

The larger of his teammates rolled their eyes with a huff, obviously displeased by his contribution to the conversation.

"But the Peacekeeper-".

"No need to yell, buddy. I don't think anyone here is hard of hearing."

The runner breathed a sigh of relief, when he felt a gloved hand on the small of his back and turned to see his partner standing next to him. Elliott was so much better at dealing with people than he was.

"I think you should land at Refinery," he whispered, before refocusing his attention on the speedster's squadmate again.

"And for the record, the Wingman is the best and most versatile," the trickster continued, patting the other man's shoulder, making him bristle. "If you can hit your shots."

Octavio laughed quietly, while his teammate stomped away to choose their destination on the map.

"Idiota."

He waited until his team was headed towards their dropzone of choice, before stealthily breaking away and headed in the direction of Refinery. He landed in the middle building and looked around for any sign of Elliott but he didn't seem to be here. He stood with his hands on his hips, wondering why he was told to come here. Maybe Elliott was just running late? He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, unsure of what to do, until he heard the sound of heavy boots coming down the stairs.

"Hey brotha!"

He watched as the much taller man approached him, with his squad in tow.

"Hey man. Have you...seen Elliott around?"

Makoa beamed at him and emitted a laugh that boomed around the room.

"You might want to check upstairs," he replied, giving him a friendly pat on the back, the force of which almost made the speedster topple over. "Hope you got them legs screwed on tight, brotha. You got quite the trek ahead of you."

He laughed again, before gesturing for his squad to follow him as he began to walk away. Octavio stood there for a moment confused, until deciding to take Gibraltar's advice and head upstairs. He had just begun climbing, when Makoa called out to him again.

"By the way, happy birthday!"

The statement stopped the speedster in his tracks. He remembered?

"Uh...Si, gracias, amigo!" he yelled back, before continuing up the stairs.

What was Elliott up to?

Octavio scratched at his tattoo, standing at the top of the stairs, more confused than ever. Elliott wasn't here. He stepped further into the room, the sound of his feet clicking on the floor echoing behind him. He paused for a moment, hearing what sounded like music. His nose wrinkled under his mask. Was that the tune of "happy birthday"? He eventually found the source, sitting in the corner of the room; a square box. When he opened it, the music stopped, his attention now being drawn to a tiny recording device with a note attached that read "play me," accompanied by a small, neatly wrapped package. He opened the package first, curiosity getting the better of him, to find a package of chocolate candies. He shrugged, deciding to tuck in right away, while he pressed play on the device. He smiled when he was greeted by Elliott's voice, licking the excess chocolate off his fingers while he listened:

"_Heyyy, you found me! I thought I could make working on your birthday a little more interesting, so I left you some gifts around the arena that you're gonna have to hunt for! But I suppose you're wondering why I sent you to Refinery. I just wanted to remind you how refined you've become. I never wanted you to change from the day I met you. You did that all on your own. I couldn't be more proud to call you my boyfriend. Anyways, you should get going to the next place! And remember, baby. I'll never, ever Overlook you for anyone else. I love you. Did you...get the hint? If not...you can, always replay it I guess…"._

Octavio couldn't resist the urge to laugh when the recording stopped. He guessed Elliott was sending him on some sort of scavenger hunt. He shook his head, as he jumped to his feet. Only Elliott could think of something equally ridiculous and sweet. He stuffed the remainder of the chocolate into his pocket, and stretched. He was going to beat this in record time!

It didn't take him too long to get to Overlook. He had probably left track marks on the grass, with how fast he'd run here, skidding to a stop as soon as he reached his destination. He looked around, wondering where to look. Overlook was pretty big, and he was a little stumped on where to start, until he heard a high pitched whistle coming from the circular building on the edge of the arena. He turned to see Ajay waving at him, prompting him to jog over.

"Happy birthday, punk," she said as he approached.

"Thanks," he replied, looking past her into the building. "Was...Elliott here?"

The medic smiled wryly at him, leaning against the doorframe, blocking his view.

"Haven't seen him."

"Are you sure about that?" he asked, giving her a suspicious look through his goggles.

"I ain't one to ruin a surprise," she spoke, giving him a pat on the shoulder as she walked past. "Ya know that. Now if you'll excuse me, I sent my trainees off to look for med supplies forever ago."

The runner waited until they had parted ways, before stepping inside the building. It was no surprise why she had gone through the effort to block the door, as it was painfully obvious where the box was located; the out of tune music could be heard downstairs. He sat cross-legged on the ground as he opened it, finding another recording device and a small gift inside. He unwrapped the paper quickly and tossed it back inside the box, as he examined the colourful wristbands he'd received.

"Awesome," he whispered, sliding them onto his wrist, taking a moment to admire how the different shades of green complimented each other, before pressing play the device.

"_You figured it out, huh? That's my guy. Now, you might think I'm crazy for setting all this up but...Man, I've never felt this way about anyone else. You're my whole world, Tav. It doesn't matter how long we're together, every time I see you and I'm with you, my heart just feels like it's going to explode from happiness. In a good way! Almost like...water, surging out of the ground. I just...think you're a really great guy, sir. Get it? 'Cause it sounds like Geyser? You get it."_

"Dios Mio, Elliott. That was so bad," he giggled to himself, as he packed the box back up and set it aside.

He used a jump pad to give him a boost towards the tunnel that led to the Geyser. He was having fun, and found himself becoming more excited as he ran through the tunnel, wondering what the trickster had in store for him next.

"Octavio!"

He jumped, mildly startled by the sudden call of his name, as soon as he opened the large double doors, keeping him from his destination. What caught him off guard further, was when he was swooped into a hug; the electrician jittered with excitement in his arms.

"Bon Anniversaire, mon ami! Happy Birthday!"

"Thanks, Nat," the runner replied, stepping back somewhat awkwardly. "Has Elliott been through here?"

"I haven't seen him since he gave me my box to-," she paused, covering her mouth. "I don't think I was meant to tell you that."

Octavio folded his arms, his tone amused.

"Wait, you mean he's been treating everyone as his lackeys to set this up?"

"Something like that," Natalie responded, a shy smile spreading to her face. "I helped him write some of the clues."

That would explain the terrible jokes, having both Elliott and Natalie on the case.

"Sooo, does that mean you can give me a hint about where the next clue is?" Octavio asked, his gaze floating towards one of the longer buildings, where the young woman had come from.

"Maybe," she giggled, beckoning for him to follow her.

The box was situated on an old shelf inside, humming it's obnoxious tune, just like it's counterparts.

"He really put a lot of time into this, I think," she said, sheepishly taking a couple of steps back. "I'll...leave you then. I should get back to my squad. Au revoir."

And with that, he was left alone again. Opening the box, was the same experience as the rest, with a recording and small token inside. This time, he was gifted some pins, decorated with various loud, colourful decals.

"Okay, these are actually sick," he mumbled to himself, shoving them inside one of his vest's compartments for later, before pressing play on the device.

"_Umm...this is a little embarrassing but I don't really have a line for this one. So, uh...yeah. Just go to the Harvester. I was trying to think of something maybe gardening related because...y'know, harvesting. But using the word "seed" just sounded kinda...wrong. I could have done something corny like "the seed of our love bloomed like…", dammit! That's actually pretty good. Anywho, Harvester. Get a move on! Love you!" _

Octavio snickered quietly, as he collected himself. Elliott obviously hadn't had Natalie's help for that one.

It took him slightly longer than last time to reach his destination, having spotted his team that he was supposed to be training, arguing near Sorting Factory. He had to move a little slower to avoid being detected, much to his annoyance. He could hear Anita yelling, a mile away, and assumed Elliott had also convinced her to join his cause. He approached her, eyeing her squad who were taking part in some rigorous workout routine, with some disdain; all while the soldier barked orders at them.

"You're gonna have to push harder than that, rookie. The slow ones are always the first to get shot."

"And that's why I never get hit by a single bullet," Octavio said, his tone mocking.

"In your dreams, Silva," Anita shot back, raising a playful eyebrow at him. "I scraped your sorry ass off the floor more times that I can count."

"You love me really, chica. It's okay to admit it. I'm taken though, sorry."

"Funny you should mention that," she said, waving a hand towards her trainees. "Take five, ladies."

"Oh?" the speedster questioned, coyly. "Now you've got me interested."

"It's about time you showed up," the soldier continued, making her way up the ramp to the higher point of the Harvester, prompting him to follow. "That music has been giving me a headache."

"You're so not as subtle as Natalie was trying to be, you know," he teased, making her roll her eyes.

"I like Elliott. He just has some really stupid ideas," Anita muttered, pointing him towards the box perched on top of a supply bin.

"It's not stupid!" the runner protested, clutching the box protectively in his hands. "It's romantic...or whatever."

"Aw, well aren't you just precious?" she teased, stepping out of the room to give him some privacy.

As always, the box contained a recorder and a small gift of some candies; sour ones this time. His favourite. He took the recording device in his hand and pressed play.

"_You know I love to dance. And I'm pretty good at it too, if I do say so myself! I couldn't ask for a better dance partner than you. Seriously, you tear up the dance floor like nobody's business! I still think about the time you set up the little dance for us in the living room. I can't wait to have more moments like that together. You make everything fun. Even the bad stuff. But I can't wait until we can go out dancing in the city together again. I guess for now, you're just gonna have to settle for the hottest party spot in the arena!"_

Octavio furrowed his eyebrows in thought, as he stepped outside. This wasn't much of a clue, they could party anywhere. He leaned on the railing, looking down into the lava pit below as he considered his options. He could always ask Anita if she knew, but she'd probably make fun of him for being dumb. He turned, to begin making his way down the ramp again, until something on the horizon caught his eye. He slapped himself over the head, when he saw the huge holographic image of his partner in the distance. Maybe he was just dumb.

He took the zipline onto the boat, and barely had both feet on the ground before he was met by Pathfinder, chipper as usual.

"Friend! It's your birthday today! How exciting!"

"If you say so," Octavio spoke, stepping past the robot, onto the deck. "Was Elliott here?"

"No, but he gave me a very special gift to hide for you! How fun!"

"Can you tell me where it is?"

The runner appreciated the effort his partner had gone through to plan all this, and he was having a good time but all Octavio wanted right now was to see his boyfriend. Pathfinder, however, had other ideas. His patience was quickly wearing thin, as he continued to search, the robot clapping with delight each time he got it wrong, refusing to tell him where it was. After twenty-five minutes of searching, Octavio jumped off the side of the boat, giving up. Pathfinder obviously wasn't going to tell him where it was, and he considered going back to Anita to see if she knew. Just as he was beginning to stomp off, he heard the quiet jingle of "happy birthday" coming from the small building that was semi-covered in snow.

He huffed, as he entered the building, scooped the box into his arms, and was back on the boat before Pathfinder could say "zipline".

"That's not where he asked you to hide it!" Octavio complained, setting the box down on the bar top.

"I'm really good at this game!" the robot exclaimed, a smiley face appearing on his screen.

"Whatever," the runner muttered, taking the top off the box to find a similar layout as before. "Now, go away. This is my present."

The MVRN's screen flickered to a sad face, as he slinked away, leaving the young legend to inspect the rabbit shaped keyring, he'd received.

"How does he always know?" he mused out loud, clutching the keyring in both hands for a moment, before playing the recording.

"_Sometimes people say to me; 'Mirage was that boat really worth it?' and honestly, yeah it was. Not because of all the amazing parties I've hosted here, even though they were amazing, but because of all the moments we shared here. But hey, look around, babe. Always remember that it doesn't matter how many or how much of me there is to go around, I'm always yours. I would never choo-choo-choose to be with anyone else! Get it? 'Cause I did all the stuff with the...trains and the...I'm just gonna…go. And you should too because you're getting closer to your prize!" _

"A prize, eh?" Octavio mused to himself, leaning against the bar to support his weight, as he stretched his legs out.

He was full of a renewed vitality, now knowing he could win something. He was sure he knew where he was meant to go next, as he used a jump pad to gain some height, giving him extra momentum as he slid down the hill towards Train Yard.

All was quiet when he entered Train Yard and he cursed quietly to himself, thinking he'd got it wrong. What if Elliott had meant the train itself? He sighed. He could always wait for the train to roll around but that would be wasting more time. He continued to walk, deciding he could look around in the meantime, until he spotted Wraith sitting cross-legged on top of one of the abandoned train cars.

"Hey, chica!"

She seemed to wrinkle her nose, as he climbed up to join her.

"Hi."

"Have you seen-."

"Don't ask. I know why you're here."

Her words sent a shiver down his spine, until she pulled out a box from behind her and tossed it to him.

"Here."

He picked at the corner of the box with his nail for a moment, before speaking.

"I can't believe he managed to rope everyone into this."

"Yeah well, you can tell him he owes me one," she said, as she stood and jumped off the side of the car. "I'll be dumping my squad on him, next training opportunity."

Octavio watched her leave, thinking about what she'd just said. If Elliott had given her his training responsibilities for the day, that meant he was out there alone somewhere, waiting for him. The thought excited him but what really thrilled him was the Mirage branded briefs he found inside the box.

"Oh my god, Elliott. Yes," he said, giggling quietly to himself as he pressed play on the recording device.

"_Man, am I glad you figured that one out. That could've been really embarrassing. Y'know, just looking up at the sky makes me think of you. Especially at night when you can see the stars. It reminds me of the time you made Ajay's special hot chocolate for us and we went stargazing. It seems I'm always thinking of you. I guess you could say I'm hooked. Like a...hook. Skies and hooks...are great, right? Skyhook."_

Octavio continued to giggle at his partner's ridiculousness, while he stood, stuffing the underwear into another of his vest pockets. He was starting to run out of carrying space. He sped off as quickly as he could, hoping he would find his boyfriend's whereabouts soon.

Skyhook was huge, the box could be anywhere. He jogged around for a while straining his ears as he passed each building, listening for the music. When his hunt continued to be unsuccessful, he slowed his pace down to walk, eventually spotting Caustic dipping into the train station in the distance. Elliott could not be serious right now.

"Helloooo?" he called out, as he stepped inside, peering around the corner to see the chemist making some adjustments to his gas traps.

"You've come for your box, I assume?" Caustic spoke, not looking up from his task, as the speedster came closer.

"You have to be joking, compadre," Octavio replied, tapping his foot impatiently. "I don't buy it. Why would Elliott ask _you_ of all people to help?"

"He is more tolerable than _some_ of you, when he is not engaged in his bravado," the older legend said. "After I'd managed to get that blasted song to stop, I left it on the bottom of the stairs. I did not wish to make the task _too_ difficult for you."

Octavio would have stuck his tongue out in response to the scientist's jeering tone, if he was not wearing his mask right now. He decided to hold it this once, hastily making his way to the stairs to retrieve the box. There was no gift inside this time, and the runner couldn't help but wonder if Caustic had been snooping around. He shook his head, and pressed play on the recording device. He was just eager to find his boyfriend now.

"_I promise I'll get someone more...better with words to help next time. I know that last one was pretty bad. But for now, I've just been thinking...You know how they say, people fall in love because Cupid hits them with his arrows? That's kinda funny when you think about it. I mean, his sniping skills must be off the chain! But, as you know, mine aren't the best...I wonder is there anywhere around here where I can practice my sniping skills while I wait…". _

He took the zipline up to the Sniper's Nest, his feet collecting some dew from the grass when he landed. He had originally gone to the tallest building in Skyhook, thinking that was where his lover had intended him to go. He waited around for a little while, but when neither Elliott nor any of the other legends showed up, he realised he'd gotten it wrong. He turned in a slow circle, and that's when he spotted the mountain and knew where he needed to be. At least...he thought so. He continued to explore the mountain's peak, eventually heading to the opposite edge, peering over the side. And that's when he saw Elliott; laying in the grassy field below on a blanket, arms tucked behind his head and goggles over his eyes. He looked like he'd been soaking up what little sun Talos got, this whole time.

"Hey!" Octavio called out, immediately grabbing the other man's attention.

He sat up and waved at him. Octavio could swear he could see the bright grin on his face from here.

"It's about time you decided to show up!" Elliott quipped, watching as the younger legend zoomed down the zipline to join him on the blanket.

"Sorry, mi amor. I had to hit a few stops on the way."

The trickster laughed at the remark, adjusting his goggles back onto his forehead, to show the sheepish look in his eyes.

"Did you...like it?"

"Yeah, but...I just have to say I think you were slacking on the gifts in the last one," the speedster teased, receiving a coy smile in response.

"Not at all. I have your present right here."

He leaned over to undo the clasps of the runner's mouthpiece, discarding it onto the blanket. He ran a gentle thumb along his cheek, before closing the distance between them, kissing him softly. He pulled away, with a bright grin on his face.

"I'll give you your real present later. Those were just...placeholders. I still hope you liked them though."

"The whole thing was fun!" Octavio assured him. "And you know me. I'll never turn down an opportunity to be told how awesome I am, over and over. Though, I think Wraith might be plotting to kill you now."

Elliott took his hand, with a chuckle, lifting it to his lips so he could kiss his gloved knuckles sweetly.

"Well, at least I'll die happy, knowing my last moments were spent with you."

"I hope today wasn't too much," Elliott spoke, reaching behind him to retrieve the basket he'd brought. "But don't think I bought you out here for nothing."

"It was perfect. You stress yourself too much," the speedster replied, eyeing the basket with a curious look in his eye.

"Still, I packed us a little picnic," his partner continued. "But I know you always want dessert first so…".

He dipped his hand inside the basket and pulled out a scrumptious looking cupcake, already decorated with a candle, which Elliott promptly lit and held out to the runner.

"Happy birthday, babe."

Octavio extinguished the flame with ease, looking back at his boyfriend with hopeful eyes.

"Did you make a wish?" the trickster asked. "But remember, you can't tell me, or it won't come true."

The speedster scratched at his arm awkwardly.

"No. I guess I forgot."

"Aw, I can light it again if you want."

"I don't think it works that way," Octavio said, with a small laugh. "Besides, I think I just want to eat the cake anyway."

"Of course," Elliott replied, presenting the cupcake to his lips. "Open up."

Octavio took a bite, making a satisfied sound as the sweet and slightly bitter taste of rich chocolate rolled over his tongue.

"That's really, really good," he said, watching his partner's eyes flutter closed as he took a bite of his own.

"Mmmm. You just can't go wrong with chocolate," Elliott hummed, a smirk spreading to his features, when he met the younger legend's gaze. "You look like a walking advertisement with all that chocolate on your face."

Octavio began to raise his arm to his mouth, to wipe the chocolate on the back of it. He paused, when he got a better idea, a mischievous smile spreading to his face when he reached into his pocket to pluck the pair of black and yellow underwear out; proceeding to daintily wipe at the corners of his mouth.

"Dios Mio, where are my manners?" he said sarcastically, trying his hardest not to cackle at the horrified look on his partner's face.

"Tav! You can't just...whip those out in public!"

"Why the hell not?! It's my birthday!"

"You're a brat!" Elliott told him, snatching the briefs from his hand and stuffing them into the basket; his tone was firm, but his smile was gentle as Octavio stuck a pierced tongue out at him in mock protest.

"Today is all about me! I should be able to-".

His words were lost and replaced by a small whimper, when Elliott swept him into a searing kiss; silencing him. He cupped the younger legend's cheek lovingly, as he slowly worked his tongue in, making his partner groan needily against his mouth. The scene in front of him was almost laughable, when they pulled apart; the speedster's goggles now fogged up.

"You need some help there, buddy?" the trickster quipped, chuckling as his boyfriend yanked the goggles off his face and threw them onto the grass.

"Maybe," Octavio smirked, grabbing at the trickster's scarf, before shoving him back onto the blanket, playfully.

Elliott had worried that today wouldn't work out. That it would be too much or too cringy, or not Octavio's style. However, the way his love smiled against his lips, as they came together again, let him know that he may have gotten it just right.

* * *

"Can you at least tell me where we're going?" Octavio piped up again, impatient as ever.

"I already told you it's a surprise," Elliott replied, adjusting his hands over the shorter man's eyes, as he led him down the hall towards the legend's common room.

The shield over his eyes was removed as soon as they walked through the door, and he was met with a chorus of "Surprise!" from some of his fellow legends. He stepped back, somewhat stunned, bumping into his partner, who rested a supportive hand on his shoulder.

"Aw, the poor thing looks like a deer in the headlights," Anita chuckled, having already cracked open the bourbon.

"We didn't scare you, did we?" Natalie asked, showing obvious concern for her friend who was still standing uncharacteristically still.

"Uhhh...N-no," Octavio eventually managed to stammer out. "I just...My family didn't really do birthdays so I wasn't really...expecting this."

"Well, _this_ family does do birthdays," Makoa said jovially, gesturing to the ridiculous amount of food laid out on the table. "Anita even gave me her nana's cake recipe. Every celebration needs some good home cookin'."

"Someone light the darn cake, already! My mouth's been watering all day, just thinking about it," the soldier spoke up, draining the remains of her glass, before tossing a lighter to Ajay.

"Don't forget to make a wish this time," Elliott said softly, as everyone gathered around the table.

Octavio looked around at the group, who had begun to sing a very off-key rendition of "Happy Birthday" to him, and for once, couldn't think of a single other thing he could possibly want. He pursed his lips in thought, and blew out the candle while Elliott placed a kiss to his temple. Everyone clapped for a few moments, and began tucking into the food, hungry after the day's training session.

"So, what did ya wish for?" Ajay asked, through a mouthful of cake.

"He can't tell you or it won't come true!" Elliott insisted, while he assisted Makoa in passing out more cake.

"Yeah!" Octavio said, sticking his tongue out at the medic, before collapsing onto a nearby couch with his own piece of cake.

He looked up at Elliott, who winked at him, as he licked some excess icing off his fingers. He wasn't going to tell anyone his wish. He _really_ wanted that pet flyer. He already had everything else he could possibly ever want.


	22. Everything I Knew

"Wow," Elliott breathed, as he walked out of the ship and onto the landing platform; the heat that drifted in the air hitting him in the face as soon as he stepped out. He was used to Solace's typically fine weather but this was something else entirely. Sprinting across the breezy landscape of Talos in a pair of white shorts and floral shirt to get to their ship was not the most pleasant experience but, he was suddenly becoming very grateful that Octavio had convinced him to dress for the occasion. He'd never been to Psamathe before, and it wasn't exactly high on his list of places he wanted to visit before he'd started dating Octavio. However, as he looked towards the city on the horizon with its high rise buildings, to the smooth surface of the street a few meters away, to the lush palm trees surrounded by brightly coloured flowers, he realized what he'd been missing out on; and what exactly his partner had left behind.

"It's beautiful here," he continued, turning to face the speedster who was only now making his way out of the ship, preoccupied with his phone. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah, of course," the younger legend replied, smiling up at him. "Just making sure our car is on the way."

"You can let me help, y'know," Elliott told him, moving to undo the top couple of buttons on his shirt to try combat the heat. "You already planned this trip, without me knowing. You don't need to keep doing everything on your own. We're here now."

"Is that your way of saying you don't trust me to organise everything?" Octavio asked, his tone playful.

"N-no! That's not what I-."

"I know, amor. I'm just teasing you."

"Right," Elliott sighed, relieved. "I was just saying how beautiful it is here."

"Yeah, it's alright I guess," the runner said, taking a quick look around, before becoming distracted with the beeping of his phone. "We should grab our stuff. Our ride will be here soon."

No more than thirty minutes later, they were dropped off at their location, and were following a very chirpy young woman towards a group of spaced out beach houses.

"Now, as I'm sure you already know, we have all the same services as any of the top class hotels around here, but you can experience it all from the comfort and privacy of your own room," she said, reciting what was posted on their website, as far as Octavio could remember.

"This is the home we've chosen for you," she continued, stopping outside one of the houses.

She swiped the keycard in the door, and gestured to the couple to step in first.

"Wow," was all Elliott managed to get out as he looked around, lips parting slightly.

The area was completely open plan, somehow striking the balance between modern and homely perfectly. His eyes drifted between the luxurious looking bathtub and the large bed, adorned with plush, patterned pillows. But what really grabbed his attention, was the view. The back wall was mostly formed of glass windows, with a sliding door that led onto a deck area, and onto the beach. The sight of the golden sand and blue ocean was breathtaking, and Elliott found himself completely lost in it, until he began to tune back into the conversation happening behind him.

"I do hope you gentlemen enjoy your stay. I'll have someone deliver your bags, as soon as possible," the woman continued, offering the keycard to Octavio. "Oh, and please don't hesitate to call the main office for anything you desire. Your welcome pack has everything you need to know."

"Gracias," Octavio replied, following her to the door, toying with the card in his hand.

"Que tenga una buena noche," she beamed at them, as the speedster shut the door behind her.

"Uh...Yeah...bye."

He ran a hand through his hair, and deposited the keycard on the table next to the door before turning to face his partner, who was already sprawled out on the bed, flicking through the welcome pack.

"Ooooh, we can order Mimosas! And...Oh my God, that's an expensive wine."

Octavio sat down beside him, as he continued to peruse the menu, letting out a small excited gasp as he turned the page.

"We can get spa treatments in our room?! That's...Oh, maybe we shouldn't. I don't wanna bother the staff too much."

The speedster let out a small chuckle, and lay back on the bed, tucking his arms underneath his head.

"I'm pretty sure these people are trained specifically to kiss rich people's asses. I don't think they'll mind."

"Yeah…," the trickster trailed off, setting the pack aside and narrowing his eyes at his boyfriend. "How much did it cost for us to stay here?"

"Does it matter?"

"I guess not," Elliott sighed, propping himself up on his elbow, using his free hand to snake under his partner's shirt with a sly smile on his face. "But, you know...I'm always happy to repay."

"I'm...just not really feeling it, right now," Octavio replied, his words causing his partner to immediately retract his hand.

"Are you okay? You've been a little quiet since we got here…".

"I'm fine," the runner assured him with a smile, showing more teeth than he usually did. "It's just...I kind of just want to order dinner and hang out."

"We can do that," Elliott said, brushing the younger legend's hair back so he could place a kiss on his forehead. "Though, I have to admit, I'm feeling a little sticky from the heat so I might take advantage of that bath first."

Octavio let out a small laugh, as he watched his partner step onto the raised bathroom platform.

"When I was looking at this place online, I knew that was the first thing you'd want to use."

"You know me so well," the trickster hummed, sitting on the edge of the tub as he began running the water.

"There _is_ a curtain you can pull across, if you want some privacy," the runner told him, though his tone was playful.

Elliott stood up and shimmied himself out of his shorts, throwing a wink over his shoulder when he began peeling off his shirt.

"Now, why would I ever want that?"

* * *

They spent the next couple of days roaming the city and landscape around it. Octavio took the opportunity to show Elliott some of his favourite places to go during his late teens. They mostly consisted of fast food places and various locations that he liked to ride his skateboard. The trickster couldn't help but notice his partner didn't have a lot of stories to share about these places, though his eyes seemed to hold a forlorn glint whenever he mentioned why he liked coming to them. Octavio had tried to avoid going to the high-end district as much as possible, but once Elliott heard about the boutiques it had to offer, all it took was a pout and a bat of his eyelashes and they were on their way. Octavio had let his head roll back against the back of the velvet couch he was waiting on, his leg jittering impatiently, knocking over the collection of shopping bags the trickster had collected. He hated these places. It wasn't necessarily the clothes he hated, though he didn't particularly have a fondness for them; it was the whispering. It was the way everyone was too nice but their smiles never reached their eyes. He hated being offered champagne and fruit while he waited, and called Mr Silva by someone, which only made the other customers whisper more. He hated how they tried to tempt him into purchasing something that would make him look like them. He wasn't like them. He'd made that painfully obvious through the things he'd done, and yet people still knew who he was, but not for the reasons he wanted them to. It was all because of his name, and he hated it.

"Elliott?" he whined, scuffing his heel into the carpet, his eyes drifting towards the dressing room. "Can we go now?"

He waited for an answer but didn't get one. Hauling himself off the couch, he made his way towards the room his partner had disappeared into some time ago; finding him standing in front of a mirror, buttoning up his shirt while a smartly dressed woman stood next to him, holding up some other options.

"The white, of course, is a classic. Very sophisticated. But you could also consider something like a maroon. A much more seductive colour. The deeper tones would bring out your eyes."

The trickster pursed his lips in consideration, fidgeting with his collar.

"Elliott?"

The holo-technician met his boyfriend's eyes in the mirror, before turning around to face him.

"Are you almost done?"

"Uhh...yeah, yeah," Elliott replied, glancing at his reflection once more, directing his attention back to the sales woman. "I think I'll just go with the white, for now."

"Excellent choice, sir."

Octavio gathered the bags he'd previously knocked over, and waited at the door while Elliott made his purchase, bouncing from one foot to the other. He let out a sigh of relief when they stepped back outside into the sun, which didn't go unnoticed by his partner.

"Something wrong, babe?"

"No," the speedster replied with a shake of his head, feeling the tension that had gathered in his shoulders disappear when Elliott slipped in hand into his. "I'm...was just really bored. I feel like we've been shopping all day."

"Sorry," Elliott said, looking at bags they were carrying guiltily. "I think I got a little carried away."

"Oh, no. I didn't mean it like that!" Octavio protested, giving the trickster's hand a small squeeze. "You should totally treat yourself while we're here! I just can't be cooped up in stores all day. I'm sorry."

Elliott opened his mouth to say something else, but the speedster took the opportunity to interject, before his lover could push the matter further.

"How about we grab some ice-cream? My treat."

* * *

"You're loving this, aren't you?" Octavio chuckled, as he stepped onto the back deck of their accommodation the next day.

He made his way down the couple of steps that lead to the beach, finding his partner laying on his stomach, on a sun lounger with his arms tucked under his chin.

"This is actually paradise," Elliott murmured, turning his face just slightly towards the runner, as he approached.

Octavio sat down on the lounger next him, looking over the trickster with an appreciative eye. He had pinned his hair back, to keep the shadow from his face, while his skin seemed to glow under the sun's rays.

"I guess you could say that."

"You don't sound too sure," Elliott pointed out, pushing himself up onto his elbows. "What's up?"

"I wanna go in the water," Octavio spoke up, his gaze drifting away from his partner, and towards the soft lapping waves.

"I'll come with you!" the trickster said, following the speedster to the ocean's edge.

He wiggled his toes as the cool water came in and washed over his feet, enjoying the refreshing sensation.

"This won't harm your prosthetics will it?"

"Nah," Octavio replied. "I run in water in the games all the time."

He took a tight hold on his boyfriend's hand as they made their way in, stopping when they were up to their waists.

"This feels so much better," the runner said, threading his fingers through the water.

Elliott hummed in agreement, sliding an arm around the younger legend's shoulders, pulling him into his chest. He could feel Octavio sag against him, as he returned the embrace. He rested his chin on his head, staring into the distance before beginning to speak;

"Tav-"

"Who do you think can hold their breath underwater the longest?"

The trickster blink a few times and looked down at his partner.

"Huh?"

"Me versus you!" Octavio continued, wiggling out of his lover's grasp. "We go underwater and whoever comes up first, loses!"

"What's the prize?"

"The satisfaction of being the best! What could be better than that?"

They spread out, creating some distance between them, staring each other down playfully.

"Ready?" Octavio called out, receiving a nod from his partner in response. "Three...two...one...go!"

Elliott held his nose and clenched his eyes shut as he plunged himself under the water, while Octavio went full force, diving beneath it. He held his breath until his lungs ached, and he was forced to return to the surface. He scowled when his partner popped back up shortly after him, with a smug grin on his face.

"How did you do that?"

"You think I didn't have stupid contests like this, with my brothers all the time?" Elliott chuckled, wading his way towards him. "Because I did."

They returned to the beach, after spending some time splashing around, and settled back onto the lounge chairs again, deciding to allow the heat of the sun to dry them off.

"Are you happy we came here?" Elliott asked, breaking the silence that had lingered between them for the last few minutes.

"Yeah," came the speedster's simple reply. "I think it's cool that you're finally getting to see some of Psamathe."

"Yeah," the trickster nodded slowly, adjusting himself to sit cross-legged. "It's just...I feel like you've been kinda...off, since we got here and-."

"Elliott, I've told you so many times, I'm fine," Octavio sighed, allowing his eyes to fall shut; though he wasn't sure if it was for a defense against the sun or his boyfriend.

"M-maybe you are," Elliott continued, absentmindedly picking some dry sand from his leg. "But...Are we?"

The speedster's eyes shot open, while he sat up slightly.

"What?"

"I just m-mean like are you...starting to have doubts or som-something?"

"Are _you_ having doubts?" Octavio returned the question, sitting up fully now to look at his partner.

"I kind of get it if you are. I heard before th-that sometimes when people go on th-their first vacation together it can...happen."

"Elliott, what are you talking about?"

Octavio watched as the trickster nibbled on his lip, as if unsure of how to continue.

"I know we live together but we're never _really_...alone at the complex and...now we are, so m-maybe now th-that we're really alone you're realising that this isn't...what you want anymore."

The speedster's heart skipped a beat, as he leaned forward in his chair.

"Is that...what you're thinking?"

"No!" Elliott replied, shaking his head in protest.

"Then...why are you bringing it up?"

"I…," the trickster began, pausing for a moment as he smoothed his hands over his thighs. "You've barely touched me since we got here and it's...I don't know if it's because you've got something on your mind or because you don't wanna be here. And then I th-thought...maybe you were bored because it's...just us now."

"Amor…," Octavio said quietly, coming to kneel before his love, intertwining their fingers. "No...it's not that. It's really not."

"Then...what is it?"

The speedster's gaze fell to the sand below them.

"I don't really...come back here much."

"Does it feel weird to be back?" Elliott asked softly, giving the younger legend's hand a squeeze.

"Yeah...Kind of."

The trickster moved himself over, allowing his boyfriend to sit next to him.

"I've just been...doing a lot of thinking and...getting in my head, I guess," Octavio tried to explain.

"About what?"

The speedster sighed heavily.

"Papá...never called or...even texted on my birthday," he began, receiving another supportive squeeze to his hand, encouraging him to continue. "When I was planning this trip I...wanted to pick up some of my old stuff from my parents' place. I thought we were...kind of, okay? Well, me and papá anyways. But now...I'm not sure. But I still really want to get my stuff."

"We can totally pay your parents a visit, if that's what you want," Elliott told him. "I don't have a problem with that at all."

"I don't _want_ to visit them," Octavio said firmly, scrubbing a hand through his hair. "I just want…".

"Your stuff?"

"Yeah."

Elliott ran a hand over his beard, thinking.

"We could always grab your stuff and leave?" he suggested. "Say, we have to jet home for work. I'll take the blame."

"Or…," the runner sighed, resting his face against his hand. "I could just...forget about it. I don't know if I want to see them."

"Hey, whatever you choose, I'm with you, okay?" Elliott said, rubbing gentle circles into his back. "But, I just don't want you to leave and then regret it. And I...wouldn't really say no to getting to see where you grew up."

Octavio groaned against his palm, knowing his partner had a point.

"I'll...think about it."

* * *

It was hard for Elliott to stop his jaw from hitting the floor of their cab, as they turned a corner and began the descent up a small hill and into a high-class neighbourhood. His eyes glistened as he looked out the window, taking it all in. All the houses were fairly modern from what he could tell, most of them being surrounded by private fences or hedges; all of which were immaculately trimmed. He swallowed harshly as they turned into a secluded driveway and a pair of large gates seemed to open on their own, allowing them to enter. The stars seemed to have aligned in Octavio's favor, this time. Once he'd made contact with his father about visiting, he was told both his parents were currently away on business, which made him feel slightly more at ease. Though his stomach began to flip nervously, when he noticed his partner's eyes widen as they passed through the garden which extended from the front gate to the house itself. It was kitted out with a fountain, a large outdoor seating area, and a variety of trees and plants, that were more cared for and colourful than any Elliott had previously seen.

"Elliott?"

The sound of his name being called startled the trickster out of his daze, and he turned to see that his boyfriend was already standing outside and had opened the car door for him.

"Are you coming?"

"Y-yeah! Yeah, of course," Elliott stumbled, smoothing a hand over the front of his shirt as he looked up at the large modern build in front of him.

The long windows and scattered balconies seemed to loom over him, creating a shade against the sun.

"I'm just...this is your house?!"

"I mean...it's not really my house anymore."

"But still it's...huge!"

"Yep, it...sure is," Octavio sighed, folding his arms over his chest. "Mira...Elliott...don't let everything you're about to see make you think differently of me."

"What do you mean?" the trickster asked, taking a cautious step towards him. "Tav, I...pretty much always knew you...your _family_ was rich. It never made me look at you different."

"All of this…," Octavio continued, looking around the area. "This isn't my style. And neither is a lot of the stuff in here...or the way things work."

"I know."

"I'm not stupid," the runner shrugged. "I...like money. I like being able to buy what I want. Do what I want. But this isn't…".

"This isn't you," Elliott finished for him, lightly brushing his fingers against his cheek. "I know. Don't worry."

Octavio nodded, before making his way to the steps that led to the front door, with Elliott in tow.

He rang the doorbell, and both men shared a glance when no one answered. Octavio was almost tempted to turn and leave, until the heavy door was pulled open and a man, who seemed to be wearing a shirt and waistcoat that was a little too tight, peered out.

"Oh!" he said, seeming to stand up straighter when he noticed who he was looking at, and opened the door a little wider. "Perdón. We were not sure when to expect you."

He stepped aside and gestured for them both to enter.

"Bienvenido a casa! Excuse me, for a moment."

Without another word, the man trotted off, leaving them alone in the foyer.

"Who is that guy?" Elliott whispered, though his voice still seemed to echo throughout the room.

"Mama's assistant slash butler slash…," the speedster trailed off, with a roll of his eyes. "Guy she's probably banging."

Elliott rocked on his feet awkwardly, not sure what to do with this information, while trying to not make it too obvious that he was admiring the lightly coloured marble under his feet, that also covered the large staircase. It complimented the spiraling handrail, he thought. The high ceilings made him feel incredibly small, and he wasn't sure if he liked that or not. He turned to Octavio, who looked like he was about to say something, until their attention was grabbed by the sound of soft footsteps coming from a hallway behind the stairs. A young woman, who looked no older than Octavio, appeared and didn't seem to notice their presence, while humming loudly to herself. It wasn't until Octavio began to snicker into his hand, did she realise she wasn't alone, and turned to face them with a look of mortification on her face, that quickly turned to horror, while she struggled to keep hold of the linen she was carrying.

"Master Octavio!" she gulped, her face turning bright red when Elliott poked his head out from behind his partner, causing the young woman to gasp.

"And...Mirage?!"

"That's...me. Hi," the trickster replied, offering her a shy wave.

"I...Oh my God!" she squealed, burying her face in her hand as she turned and practically sprinted down the hall, away from them.

"I guess she's a fan?" Octavio giggled, spinning around to look at his boyfriend, who seemed to be eyeing him appraisingly.

"What?"

"_Master_ Octavio?" Elliott teased. "I thought I was the only one allowed to call you that?"

"She, uh...must be new," the runner said, his cheeks flushing slightly. "No one actually calls me that here."

"Tavi!" a warm voice called out, the sound soon followed by an older woman, rushing towards him. "Philip told me you were here! I didn't think you'd arrive so soon!"

Elliott noticed how Octavio's eyes seemed to light up, as she approached and he was wrapped into a tight hug.

"You know me. I'm impatient," the runner laughed, as they parted.

"You look well," she told him, a fond smile on her face. "Te eché de menos."

The trickster shuffled on his feet, as he watched the exchange, feeling somewhat awkward but not wanting to interrupt what seemed to be a special moment, until Octavio turned to him, beaming.

"Maya, this is my boyfriend, Elliott! Elliott, this is Maya. The only one of my nannies who managed to stick around."

"The only one who could handle your antics, you mean," she replied, causing them both to laugh.

She reached out to give Elliott's hand a gentle shake.

"So, _this_ is the boyfriend," Maya continued, smiling coyly at the runner. "Bien hecho. Es muy guapo."

The trickster managed to plaster on a smile, but looked at his partner unsure, due to the language barrier. He assumed she hadn't said something bad, as the runner's body language was relaxed, despite the rosy tint on his cheeks.

"I'm surprised you didn't get your ass out of here already, chica," Octavio said, trying to change the subject. "You don't need to take care of me, anymore. Unless, there's some other kid around here these days."

"I considered it, but your father decided to make me head of the house staff."

"Really?" the speedster mused. "That's...cool."

"It is," Maya replied, her attention drifting to her watch. "But I do have a hundred and one things to do, before dinner. We'll have to catch up later."

"I'm kinda just here for my stuff," Octavio said, feeling guilty when he noticed the sad look in the woman's eyes.

"Oh. I'll leave you then."

"She seems nice," Elliott piped up, after she'd left, following Octavio to the stairs.

"Yeah, she is," the younger legend responded. "I think she's the only one you can actually trust around here."

* * *

"Well, here we are," Octavio said, pushing open the door to his old bedroom. "Welcome to Casa de Octane."

Elliott looked around the room, as they entered. However, despite his boyfriend's words, nothing about the place screamed "Octane", or even hinted at it; or Octavio, for that matter.

"Did they change much since you left?"

"No," the speedster replied, taking a look around. "I don't think they really changed anything at all."

"...Cool."

It wasn't an ugly room by any means, in fact it was quite the opposite. The baby blue walls, light grey, almost white, carpet and matching bed linen all tied together nicely. It was no surprise to Elliott that Octavio had enough space to have a couch and entertainment system in his bedroom. It was the only thing he noticed about the place that represented his partner's interests; it held a sizable TV, a previous generation model gaming console, and some very old records. Elliott didn't even know you could still obtain such things, but nothing about this family would surprise him anymore. He took a step towards the desk, and upon noticing the computer wasn't switched on, he diverted his attention to the collection of notebooks. One in particular stood out to him; it was more like a scrapbook, with a bright green cover and a collection of stickers and doodles all over. "Tavi's Lifebook," was spelled out on the front in mismatched lettering that seemed to have been clipped from some magazines.

"Hey! Don't touch that!," Octavio snapped, taking the book from him, and hastily stuffing it behind all the others.

"Sorry!" the trickster cringed, blushing slightly. "I didn't mean to intrude!"

He moved away from the desk, and towards the four poster bed, admiring the designs in the wood; some of which seemed to have been damaged with scuff marks.

"So...this is your old room, huh?"

"It sure is."

Elliott plopped himself down on the end of the bed, and crossed his legs, grinning at his lover coyly.

"You ever had any hunnies in here?"

"_Hunnies?_" Octavio snorted, as he came to join him. "You're asking if I ever slept with anyone in here? Seriously?"

"I never said _that_," Elliott teased. "But if you want to give me all the juicy details then…".

The speedster rolled his eyes, causing his partner to nudge him playfully.

"Come on, babe! I tell you all my embarrassing stories! Was it your first time? Second time? Rich people orgy?"

"I wish."

"Come on," the trickster pleaded, nudging his shoulder with his forehead. "Tell me something."

"Fine," the runner sighed, defeated. "I did actually have my first time here."

"With who?"

"My tutor's assistant."

"Oh my God!" Elliott gasped, quickly resolving into a laugh. "This is better than I ever could have imagined! You are _such _a rich person!"

"Shut up!" Octavio scolded, shoving him lightly. "Anyways, my parents really wanted me to go to college, so after I finished my high school stuff, they hired someone else to continue teaching me to make sure I was smart enough, I guess. I _really_ didn't want to do it. I told them I was eighteen and done with schooling but still they forced me. The tutor complained that I was too uncooperative, so they got an assistant to help. We used to end up flirting a lot when the tutor was out of the room and one day, one thing led to another and…".

"Wow."

"It gets better...or, worse I suppose," Octavio told him, angling his sitting position so he could face his boyfriend more directly. "The tutor came back, and we were gone. Mamá was pissed I was skipping out on my lesson so she came looking for me…".

"Oh no."

"We were just done, when she came barging in. She was so mad. She called the assistant a whore and said she was only bedding me, hoping I'd get her pregnant so she could get money out of us."

"Damn."

"Yeah, it was pretty crazy."

"Did you like her?"

"Nah," Octavio said, shaking his head. "I was just bored and...saw the opportunity and went for it, I guess."

"I'm sorry that happened," Elliott said. "It doesn't sound fun at all."

"Eh, it is what it is," the runner said with a shrug, a mischievous smile spreading to his face as he leaned towards his partner and kissed him. "But...if you're interested, Mamá's not here to interrupt me now."

* * *

"This bed is so damn comfortable," Elliott murmured into his pillow, making his partner laugh, as he brushed his sweat tainted curls aside.

"Tired?"

"After that?" the trickster chuckled. "Yes."

Octavio propped himself up on his elbow, looking down at him with a smile.

"We can stay here tonight, if you want. No one's around to bother us."

"I'd like that," Elliott nodded, attempting to stifle a yawn, while the runner combed his fingers through his hair. "I love you, Tav."

"I love you too."

A comfortable silence fell over them, as Octavio turned himself away to detach his prosthetics in preparation to settle down for the night. Elliott gazed over the exposed skin of his back, connecting dots between the freckles and birthmarks, he loved so much, with his eyes, until Octavio settled back down beside him.

"Tav?"

"Yeah?"

"How come...you never really want to tell me too much about your past?"

"Because...it's the past," the young legend replied. "I prefer to focus on what's happening right now. What has already happened, is boring."

"I wanna know more about how you grew up," Elliott continued, snuggling closer.

"I didn't grow up the same as you did," Octavio said quietly. "I didn't have friends or...family traditions or...anything like that. I went to stupid parties and did stupid extra curriculars, and the only person I really talked to outside this house was Ajay, and she lived too far away to visit."

"But that's..._was_, your life," the trickster spoke up, running a comforting hand over the speedster's chest. "Maybe it wasn't...ideal. But it was yours. And I'd like to know about it. If you'll tell me."

Octavio lay there quietly for some time, twiddling his thumbs under the bed covers. Elliott thought he had pushed too far and was wracking his brain for a topic to change the subject to, until Octavio began to speak.

"That book you picked up earlier," he began, staring at the ceiling. "I went to a counsellor, and they made me make it to help...process all the..._complicated_ stuff that had happened."

Elliott merely nodded, deciding now probably wasn't the best time to interrupt.

"My parents weren't always together and we didn't always live here," Octavio explained, keeping his gaze fixed firmly on the ceiling. "My parents got married pretty soon after they both left university, I think. I always thought it was because Mamá actually comes from a pretty..._average_ family. She was probably just in it for the money. I don't know. Anyways, they spent lots of years working on the company, as far as I know. And then they had me. But I still don't know why they bothered."

"Tav…".

"We used to live in this...older house outside the city. I think I liked it better there, than here. I was really young, but I'm pretty sure we moved because Mamá wanted a bigger house, even though I remember the other one being big enough. So, we moved closer to the city and not too long later, they split up. I don't know why, exactly. But it must have a super quick divorce because Papá got married to someone else pretty soon after."

"Gosh, I'm so sorry," Elliott soothed. "I had no idea."

"I never told you," Octavio replied, with a sigh. "It's not really something we talk about. I hated his new wife. I don't even know why, really. I think I was just a stupid kid who thought his parents belonged together. I was so bad. I used to kick her all the time. And yell at her. She told Papá I was a problem child and she couldn't deal with me. Then he started getting nannies to take care of me. I hated all of them too. I was really bad, so they all quit or got fired. Papá and her, only lasted maybe two or three years? They got divorced. And then...he got involved with his assistant…Which for all I know, could have been why they split up in the first place."

"That must have been really hard for you," Elliott said, taking his partner's hand and squeezing it gently. "All those people coming into your life and leaving again."

Octavio simply shrugged, feigning nonchalance.

"The assistant wasn't so bad. She got me Navi. I wanted-."

"Navi?"

The runner stopped at the question, shutting his eyes tightly, the twinge in his chest telling him he'd already said too much.

"She...Navi, was my pet...rabbit."

"Oh," Elliott said, surprised. "I thought...Well, you said your parents never let you have-."

"I know what I said," Octavio interjected. "But, I...lied. Kind of. Mamá never wanted me to get a pet but she wasn't around so, Papá said I could...I wanted a puppy. I asked for one for Christmas. But Papá's assistant messed up and got me a bunny instead. He got so mad. Maybe...madder than I've ever seen him. Which makes no sense because...it was a gift for me. He shouldn't have cared so much. But he did. And he fired her. And then...a couple of months later, he married her. But...she was kinda dumb so, they didn't even last a year."

"Why didn't you ever say anything?" Elliott asked. "You wanted us to get a pet together, so bad I...don't understand."

"You always talk about how much you want a dog," Octavio began, solemnly. "Even before we were dating, I knew how much you wanted a pet. I didn't...if I told you about Navi you would've hated me. And then we got Mica and-."

"Wait, babe. Slow down," the trickster stopped him, holding a hand up. "Why would I hate you because you had a rabbit? I love bunnies!"

The speedster dug his nails into the blanket, trying to stop the tremble that was desperately trying to sneak into his hands.

"Navi…died," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "She died...I killed her."

"What?!" Elliott gasped, sitting up. "Tav...what are you saying?"

Octavio shut his eyes tight, his hands balling into fists, as his heart rate sped up, quickening his speech with it.

"I used to take her on stupid stunts. Mostly on my bike. I'd ride us over ramps I made and tried to do cool jumps. We'd do that almost every day, or sometimes I'd climb trees and take her with me. Rabbits aren't supposed to do stunts! I know that now! But I was so stupid and I pushed her too hard and I woke up one morning and I was gonna take her outside again but she was...gone. Dead."

"Oh, Tav…".

"I told everyone she went away on a rocket ship and blew up because I didn't want them to know what I did! That's why...Papá sent me to the counsellor. He must have thought I was going crazy. I loved her so much. I didn't want anyone to know it was me."

"Tav, that wasn't your fault…," Elliott told him, stroking his arm softly, feeling how his lover's skin quivered under his touch. "Sometimes things like that just...happen. Maybe she was older than you thought."

"I'd never hurt Mica like that," the runner said firmly. "Or any pet. Ever again."

"You're amazing with Mica. He loves you."

Octavio let out a loud sigh, running a hand through his hair in thought.

"After that...nothing felt fun anymore. I'd ride my bike on my own, and I tried to do higher jumps to see if that would make it more exciting. I started taking skateboarding more seriously. I wouldn't come home for hours. I barely went to my classes. Then Maya got hired and at first...I hated her the same as all the others, but...after a while...I felt like she actually kinda cared about me. She listened and didn't yell at me all the time. I didn't stop being bad but...I tried a little."

"Can I ask how your parents ended up back together?"

Octavio wrinkled his nose and clicked his tongue piercing against his teeth a few times before answering.

"I don't know for sure. At that point I'd stopped caring about them. Papá and I would fight all the time, so I stayed in my room a lot or went outside. I know that she wouldn't leave the company and something went down. They got remarried and...that was it. They act like nothing ever happened and everyone else does too. I told you it was complicated"

"Damn," Elliott said, running a hand through his hair. "I never understood how rich people can do that. Get married and break up like it's nothing."

Octavio let out a loud snort.

"People around here hand out prenups like they're candy, amor. It's pretty much expected."

"How...romantic," the trickster quipped, the remark sending his partner into a fit of giggles.

"Anyways, hopefully now you get why I hate it here so much."

"Thanks for telling me, baby," Elliott said, running a finger down the side of the runner's cheek. "It couldn't have been easy."

"It's whatever," Octavio shrugged. "We're better than them. All of them."

"I would like to think so," the trickster hummed, pulling his boyfriend into his arms, and hugging him tightly.

Octavio sighed contentedly, absorbing Elliott's warmth. After a while, his eyes began to feel heavy and he drifted into a peaceful slumber; feeling like a huge weight had just been lifted from his shoulders.

* * *

"Ugh, I'm so full," Elliott groaned, rubbing at his tummy through his shirt, as they made their way back into the house, from the patio.

"Maya always did know how to do a breakfast spread," Octavio laughed, patting his own stomach. "It's no surprise I always had so much energy, when you think about it."

"She's nice," the trickster continued. "I like her. She's funny."

The runner merely hummed in response, until his partner jumped out in front of him, with an excited spring in his step.

"So, are you finally gonna give me the grand tour of this place?"

"Tour?"

"Yeah!" Elliott practically sang. "Come on, you can't take me to an actual mansion and not show me around!"

"Okay, okay. Chill. I will," Octavio replied, holding up his hands in mock defense. "Vamos."

They spend the next hour or so wandering around the halls of the house. Octavio mostly showed him the places he liked or spent more of his time in, like the garden or the spacious living rooms, with huge TVs. He briefly pointed out his tutoring room, which was meant to double as a home office once he was old enough. Continuing down the same corridor led them to an open landing, where a grand piano sat proudly in the middle, making Elliott's eyes go wide.

"Is this where you used to play?!"

"Yeah," Octavio responded, taking tentative steps towards it like it might attack him if he got too close.

"Would you...play something for me?" the trickster asked, running a hand over the glossy, ebony coloured surface.

"No," the runner groaned. "I haven't touched that thing in...literally forever."

"Oh, come on," Elliott attempted to coax him, by sitting down on the piano bench and lightly tapping one of the keys. "It's just us. I won't laugh."

The speedster emitted an exasperated sound, but squashed himself onto the bench beside his partner, furrowing his brows as he looked down at the keys.

"What was your favourite song to play?" the trickster asked, observing how Octavio positioned his hands and lightly tapped at the keys in a sequence, but not hard enough to actually make a sound.

"I don't think I had a favourite," he admitted. "Playing was just something I did, not really something I enjoyed."

"Try something. For me?"

Octavio rolled his shoulders back, and began putting more weight on the keys he was previously touching. The song he began to play was much slower and relaxed, than Elliott had expected. It wasn't perfect, by any means, but seeing Octavio be so gentle and precise with the piano keys, made the trickster's stomach fill with butterflies, until he abruptly stopped, with a sigh.

"I can't remember how to play this."

"That's okay," Elliott reassured him, brown eyes dilated with admiration. "It still sounded great."

"No, it didn't."

"Hey, maybe I can show you some moves of my own," he continued, using his elbow to nudge the runner over, to make room for himself.

"You can't play."

"I can...A little."

"Since when?" Octavio asked, squinting at this partner suspiciously. "You never mentioned this before."

"Well, it doesn't sound very cool to say "I can play the piano but, I can only play one song," the trickster chuckled, looking over the keys. "My mom taught me a little."

"I didn't know music ran in your family, at all."

"My brother...Kyle. He was big into music," Elliott explained, absentmindedly tapping a random key on the piano. "When we were kids, he found this old guitar in the attic. It might have been my grandpa's, we weren't sure. He decided he was gonna teach himself. We were really young at the time, and I thought this was super cool so I wanted to learn too. I begged and begged for him to let me try but he wouldn't. He said he had to practice as much as possible because he wanted to be a rockstar some day, and make a band. I wanted to be in the band too, but he said I couldn't because I couldn't play an instrument."

Elliott let out a small laugh before continuing, with a mournful look in his eye.

"I was so upset. I ran inside crying and told mom what he said. She said she'd teach me something. So...she taught me this."

He rested his hands comfortably on the keys, as if he had played this one song a thousand times, before clearing his throat to sing;

_Inch worm, inch worm,_

_Measuring the marigolds._

_Could it be, you stop and see,_

_How beautiful-_

Elliott jumped in his seat, cutting himself off and accidentally slamming his hands down on the keys, at the sound of clapping coming from the hallway.

"Bravo. Excelente. I haven't heard music coming from here in the longest time."

Octavio jumped up from the piano, somewhat defensively, causing the stool to squeak unpleasantly against the floor as he did so.

"Papá?! What are you doing here?"

His father looked between them both, before answering.

"I do live here, Octavio."

"You said you were going to be away!"

"I was," Bertrán said, stepping into the landing, hands behind his back. "I decided to return early. I knew if I told you, you would have left by the time I got here."

"So, what?" the runner questioned, folding his arms over his chest. "You came back to make sure I wasn't stealing anything, I shouldn't?"

"Maybe I just wanted to see you, mijo," the elder Silva spoke, receiving a scoff from his son.

"See me? You why should I believe that? You couldn't even remember my birthday!"

His father wrinkled his nose, brows furrowing in thought.

"That was recently...Of course, it's...My assistant must have forgotten to remind me."

A tense silence fell between them. Elliott's nails dug involuntarily into the plush cushion underneath him, unsure of what to do. He found himself somewhat grateful when Bertrán spoke up again.

"Let me make it up to you. I'll take you out for breakfast tomorrow. Both of you."

"Breakfast?" Octavio laughed wryly. "Are you sure you can spare the time, Papá?"

"I wouldn't have suggested it, if I couldn't make it," Bertrán replied, running a finger over his moustache, before looking to Elliott as if he was just really noticing him for the first time.

"Elliott, would like that. Wouldn't you?"

The trickster felt his hands become clammy, as he looked between the pair of Silvas.

"I, uh...guess we could, but we kind of-."

"Estupendo!" Mr Silva cut him off, clapping his hands together. "I look forward to it. But for now, if you'll excuse me, I have some guests coming over for drinks."

* * *

"I can't believe him!" Octavio grumbled, as he continued to search through his closet, throwing different pieces of clothing into a bag.

Elliott sat on the couch, watching. He'd noticed most of what he could see inside the closet was more Octavio's style than the rest of the room. The back of the door was decorated with different band and video game posters, and there was a shelf inside holding some very detailed looking action figures.

"See me? Kiss my ass."

The trickster chuckled at the remark.

"Is he really that bad? Maybe he really does want to make it up to you."

"Whatever," Octavio sighed, grabbing a cardboard box, and began filling it with games, some of the figurines and various other knick knacks he wanted. He paused when he took a fairly ragged looking stuffed rabbit toy, from the back of the closet, looking at it for a moment before laying it carefully in the box.

"Who is that?" Elliott asked, nodding towards the toy.

It was missing an eye, and one of it's floppy grey ears seemed to be beginning to tear away from it's head. It had seen better days but Elliott could immediately tell, his boyfriend was quite fond of it. Octavio looked towards his partner, a small blush forming on the high points of his cheeks, when he realised what the trickster was referring to.

"His...uh, its name is Rafa. I've had it since I was a baby."

"That's adorable," Elliott said, tempted to take the rabbit from the box for a closer look, but decided against it. "Where did you get it?"

The runner's gaze fell on the box.

"Papá...gave it to me when I was born."

"Oh."

"I told you this family was complicated," Octavio laughed, though it didn't sound very genuine.

He sat on the floor, absentmindedly fiddling with the ring on his middle finger, lost in thought.

"There's...some other stuff I want to get," he eventually spoke up, turning to face his boyfriend. "But they're not in my room."

"What is it?" Elliott questioned, leaning forward in his seat.

"Mostly my birth certificate. I don't really know if I like my parents having...that kind of stuff anymore. I'd rather have it."

"Okay," the trickster nodded. "Do you know where it is?"

"Not exactly," the speedster admitted, nibbling on his lower lip. "I know it has to be in Papá's office. But we might have to look around a little."

Octavio stood and made his way towards the window, peering down into the garden, having to use a hand to shield his eyes from the setting evening sun.

"I think we should look now while he's busy with the rich old guys club," he said. "Once we have everything, we can go back to our house. And then…".

He placed his hands on his hips and sighed.

"I guess we can go to that stupid breakfast tomorrow. At least it's free food. Right?"

The hallways were relatively barren in terms of people, allowing the couple to sneak from Octavio's room, down the stairs and to his father's office, with little trouble. Octavio shoved the door open, and they stepped inside, quietly closing it behind them. The office space was decorated in a much older style, compared to the rest of the house. Dark wood bookcases covered one wall, with a series of matching cabinets covering the other. A sizable, ornate desk sat in the middle, with a large window behind it, complimented by a very comfortable looking chair. Octavio flug open the door of one of the cabinets and began hastily rifling through the contents, but Elliott couldn't help but get distracted by the furniture.

"Damn, I want a desk like this."

"Feel free to search it," the runner told him. "This thing could be anywhere."

"On it!" Elliott called back, quickly remembering to hush his tone and deciding to offer his boyfriend a thumbs up instead. If he was honest, he felt a little weird searching through the drawers of the desk. He shoved the chair back behind him, to give himself more space to kneel down. He barely knew this man, who he hoped, would be his father-in-law someday, and here he was, pawing through his personal belongings. But, it was for Octavio, so he was determined to help any way he can.

"Did you find anything?" Octavio asked him, squinting at the multiple pieces of paper he was now holding.

"No, it's just all pens and junk," the trickster replied, shuffling himself towards the remaining set of drawers, at the other end of the desk. "I'll try these."

Octavio stuffed the files he had pulled out, back into the cabinet and began searching through another. They worked in silence for a few moments until Elliott spoke up again.

"Nothing...except some really fancy gin."

"I think I got it!" the speedster said triumphantly, holding up a large envelope.

"Yeah?" Elliott asked, standing up abruptly.

In his hast, he stepped back and collided with the desk chair, snagging his shoelace on one of the wheels. He reached out for something to steady himself, colliding with the wall as he toppled over, pulling a large painting down with him as he collapsed in a heap on the floor.

"Holy shit!" Octavio exclaimed, rushing towards him, though his attention was more focused on the wall, than it was on his partner. "What the hell?!"

"Please, don't tell me I broke something expensive," Elliott whined, covering his face with his hands so he wouldn't have to look.

"You just pulled some super spy type shit! I didn't know we were a secret safe in the wall, type of family! This is awesome!"

The trickster moved his hands away, to see what his partner was talking about. He raised his eyebrows in surprise when he realised Octavio was right and there was, in fact, a small safe built into the wall, previously hidden by the painting he'd just knocked over. The runner bounced excitedly in front of it, while Elliott picked himself up off the ground and dusted himself off.

"Mira! We have to get inside that thing! There could be treasure!"

"Treasure?" Elliott chuckled, rubbing at the sore spot on his elbow. "Any idea what the pin code might be?"

Octavio scratched at the back of his head, as he looked the keypad over. His finger hovered over the numbers, before typing a combination in, and quickly followed the rejected code with another.

"Careful, babe," Elliott warned. "This might be a three strikes and you're out, type deal."

The runner hummed in response, looking up the ceiling, thinking as hard as he could.

"The thing he's most proud of…," he mumbled to himself, and tapped another number combo into the keypad, which lit up green as the door automatically swung open.

"You did it!" the trickster cheered quietly, genuinely impressed.

"I thought the year the business opened was too obvious, so I went for the year he graduated."

"How do you even know that?" Elliott asked, a guilty look coming to rest on his face. "Sometimes I forget what year my mom was born."

"I'm a Silva. I'm expected to know," Octavio muttered bitterly, looking around as he took a step back. "Mierda, where the hell did I drop that envelope? You can look through all that stuff, amor. It seems to be all paper, so it's probably just business stuff. You'll understand it better than me. I need to find this stupid envelope before someone comes."

Elliott took the bundle of papers out of the safe and set them on the desk. He quickly skimmed through them all, finding nothing of interest. They were mostly deeds or contracts, and he was quickly becoming bored searching through them, until he came across a piece of paper that felt a lot heavier than the rest. He unfolded it carefully, his eyes growing wide and his mouth went dry. He read the words on it over and over, to make sure it was real, his eyes drifting towards his partner who was putting away everything he'd searched through.

"Babe?" he said, trying his best to keep the waver in his voice under control. "Did you find your birth certificate?"

"Yup!"

"Can I...see it?"

"Why?" Octavio asked, looking at him suspiciously.

Elliott swallowed harshly.

"I just...want to see if they look different to Solace's ones."

"Fine," Octavio said, handing the paper over. "But before you ask; yes my middle name is Atticus, but no, you're not allowed to laugh!"

Elliott feigned an amused smile, as he looked at the certificate over:

**Birth Name**: Octavio Atticus Silva.

**Place of Birth:** Psamathe City, Psamathe.

**Birth Mother:** Valeria Ana Silva

**Birth Father:** Bertrán Miguel Silva.

The trickster's hands shook, as he compared the two documents he held, letting out a breath as he ran his fingers over the official stamps; the one he'd found in the safe feeling much more waxy than the one Octavio had handed him. He couldn't believe his eyes, but he had no choice, despite how much he didn't want any of this to be real.

He could feel his eyes beginning to mist over, as he read the words on the second document, one more time.

**Birth Name:** Octavio Atticus Silva.

**Place of Birth:** Crúz, Psamathe.

**Birth Mother:** Emelia Reyna Traid.

**Birth Father:** Bertrán Miguel Silva.

"Fuck."

"Everything okay, cariño?" Octavio asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Elliott shook his head, biting down on his lip, unsure of how to approach the subject.

"Tav, I...th-think I found something."

"Oooh, something juicy?" the speedster asked, coming to stand beside him. "Tax fraud? Long lost relatives coming back to haunt us?"

"I…," Elliott began, shaking his head again. "I'm so sorry. This is...messed up"

Octavio looked up at him, obvious concern showing on his features.

"Elliott, you're...kind of freaking me out."

The trickster glanced at the almost identical documents one more time to make sure he was certain, before passing them to his boyfriend, with trembling fingers.

"Tav, I...don't th-think your mom is...your mom."


	23. Is Gone

"I'll kill him," Octavio spat, as he paced the inside of their beach house, the heavy steps of his feet clicking against the flooring.

It had been a mostly sleepless night for them both, with Octavio's relentless pacing and searching online obsessively for this Emelia. Elliott had tried to calm him as best as he could, trying to convince him they needed more information before he went on the warpath. Octavio had every right to be upset; Elliott knew this. But the runner had not shed a single tear that night. He was angry. Furious even. The trickster was concerned, knowing that his partner had a tendency in the past, to get himself into trouble when he felt the world was against him. He'd tried to coax him into bed, but Octavio was having none of it. He couldn't even sit down without his entire body trembling uncontrollably, which made lying down and trying to sleep out of the question. Elliott thinks he caught maybe two or three hours himself, but it wasn't exactly restful, finding himself waking up periodically to make sure his boyfriend was okay and still there with him

"Babe, I keep telling you we need more info," the trickster called back to him, from his spot at the sink, as he tried to wash the tiredness from his face.

"I can't get more info, Elliott!" the speedster said, stopping in his tracks to look at his partner. "I spent hours looking for her on social media last night. I can't find anything."

"I meant...when you talk to your dad…".

"Yeah, we're gonna have a nice _talk_ over breakfast," Octavio huffed, folding his arms over his chest.

"Are you sure you want to do this now?" the trickster asked, making his way down from the bathroom platform, and coming to stand in front of the younger legend, resting his hands on the barrier he'd created. "Maybe it would be better to do it when you're more...calm."

"No," the runner said, shaking his head. "You can't expect me to pretend I don't know about this."

"That's not what I'm saying, Tav. I'm just...this could ruin your relationship with your dad if you're not careful. I know it's not your fault but-."

"I don't care!" Octavio exclaimed, throwing his hands up in frustration. "Why should I?"

The trickster took hold of his boyfriend's hands, looking deeply into his eyes.

"Because I know you don't want that. Not really. You have every reason to be upset, Tav but-."

"I'm not upset."

"But, you still love your dad."

"I hate him," Octavio hissed, turning his face away, until Elliott took a light hold on his chin, making him look at him.

"You love your dad."

"You need to get dressed," the runner said firmly, stepping around him, to make his way into the toilet. "We're leaving soon."

* * *

"I gotta admit, I feel a little under-dressed," Elliott whispered, as they entered the restaurant Octavio's father had chosen.

His assistant had texted Octavio the address and had also arranged a car to pick them up and take them here. The runner laughed wryly at the situation, stating it was funny that his dad even remembered they were doing this today, receiving a strange look from their driver. Elliott toyed with the cuff of his sleeve, self-consciously as he looked around at all the finely dressed diners, who only seemed enhanced by the large chandeliers that glittered over almost every table. He'd decided to wear the new outfit he'd picked up from the bouquet but despite it costing him a pretty penny, it was still just a white shirt with some black fitted trousers.

"You look great," Octavio said, tapping his foot impatiently as they waited for someone to tell them where to go. "You practically blend right in."

"Thanks," the trickster replied, though he wasn't quite sure if his partner intended the last part as a compliment or not; the runner himself had decided to wear his typical outfit, a pair of jean shorts and a printed t-shirt.

"I do sincerely apologise for the wait," a waiter apologised, as he approached them.

He situated himself behind the host stand and began running his finger over the screen.

"As you can see, we're incredibly busy this morning, and our host is preoccupied. Silva, yes?"

"Yup," Octavio replied, sounding indifferent, despite the nervousness building in his stomach.

For once in his life, he was unsure if he'd be able to eat anything at all, as he followed the man across the restaurant floor.

"Right this way, gentlemen."

"Here," the speedster said, holding out his arm to his boyfriend.

"What?"

"Take my arm," he said. "We're meeting my family, which makes you my plus one. It's like...making a statement or whatever. That we're serious. That I'm serious."

"I don't know how you keep up with all this crap," Elliott said quietly, slipping his hand into the crook of Octavio's elbow. "But I was never one to turn down a gentlemanly gesture."

The waiter led them outside onto an outdoor eating area that extended over the ocean. Bertrán was already sat at a table next to the glass railing that surrounded the edge of the area, giving them a nice view of the water from their table. He seemed to be in a fairly intense discussion with a young woman who was rapidly typing into a tablet, until she noticed the couple approaching and not so subtly nodded in their direction. The elder Silva stood when they arrived, and gave his assistant permission to leave before greeting them.

"Buenos dias! I'm delighted you could make it."

Octavio immediately plopped himself down in his chair, and reached for the jug of orange juice on the table, pouring himself a glass to soothe the dryness in his mouth. Bertrán offered a hand to Elliott, which he awkwardly shook, before sitting down next to the speedster. He was a little on edge, and unsure of how to act, since he didn't exactly know when or how Octavio would decide to pull the plug on the pleasantries.

"It is a lovely morning," Mr Silva spoke up, trying to spark some conversation. "I quite enjoy coming here."

"Yeah, it's fucking awesome," the runner replied sarcastically, refilling his glass with juice.

His father hummed lowly in response, before turning his attention to Elliott.

"So, Elliott. Is this your first time visiting Psamathe?"

"Uhh, y-yes Sir. It is."

"How are you enjoying it so far?"

"Yeah, it's really nice," the trickster replied, becoming grateful when the waiter returned to their table, as he was unsure how to continue this conversation.

"Are you ready to order, sirs?"

The three men glanced down to their menus, which had gone forgotten about. Elliott nudged Octavio under the table with his knee to grab his attention.

"Can you order for me?" he requested quietly. "I don't know what any of this stuff is."

"He'll have a plate with a sample of everything," Bertrán told the waiter, plucking the menu from the trickster's hands.

"That's not even an option on the menu," Octavio said, rolling his eyes.

"The chef won't mind," his father told him, pointing out his order to the waiter.

"You don't need to flash your credit card at every opportunity," the runner continued, receiving a pointed look from his elder.

"He is on vacation. Let him enjoy himself. There's no need to be so frugal, mijo. I am just showing Elliott the same hospitality he showed me, when I visited you."

The runner looked towards his partner for his approval. Elliott merely shrugged and nodded, not wanting to make the tension at the table any worse.

"How is your bar coming along, Elliott?" Bertrán asked, as they began tucking into their breakfasts. "We must drink together again, some time."

Octavio's fingers clenched around his fork, at the statement.

"It's doing fine," the trickster replied. "I'm not there too much these days, since we're away with the games but, I have a great manager I can rely on, so….".

"Is that so?" Mr Silva, hummed, pouring himself some coffee. "I didn't know. Octavio doesn't tell me these things."

"I can't tell you anything when you don't call!" Octavio retaliated, receiving a pointed look from his father.

"You stopped calling me, mijo."

"Because you're never there! I shouldn't have to make a fucking appointment every time I want to talk to you!"

"That's unfair, Tavi. You know how busy we are, around here."

"Oh yes, Papá. I know how _busy_ you get."

"I am glad you're enjoying your time here, Elliott," Bertrán spoke, attempting to reel the conversation back in. "I have visited many planets in my time, and none have had the impact on me that Psamathe has. Though, I may be biased. But I truly think it is the best place to start a business, be educated...raise a family, if one so desired. Someone like you would thrive here, Elliott. I would make sure of it."

Octavio glared at his elder, while Elliott fidgeted with the cuff of his sleeve, not certain how to respond.

"I...I'm sure you have a point, um...sir, but Solace is my home. I couldn't imagine ever leaving it. And I...still have my mom there so I couldn't leave her. Not unless I had to like...at the moment for work."

Bertrán hummed, looking between the two men, raising his coffee cup to his lips.

"I suppose that is as good of a reason as any to stay put. Family is important, after all."

"Do you ever shut up?!" Octavio erupted suddenly, slamming his fist down on the table, causing the cutlery to rattle in a manner that caught the attention of the diners closest to them. "How do you spend your entire life talking out of your ass like this?! I don't understand it!"

His father seemed taken back by the outburst, taking a quick look around to ensure no one of importance was paying attention to them.

"Ah, it seems someone got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning," he chuckled, but it was without humor, before leaning over the table to address his child more closely. "Qué te pasa, hijo?"

"If you think family is so important, then explain this!" Octavio retaliated, digging into his pants pocket, tossing a folded up piece of paper in his father's direction.

Octavio could swear he saw a small shake in the older man's hand as he unfolded the paper, and looked it over. The pair of hazel eyes, almost identical to his own, seemed to darken as his father looked up at him.

"Where did you find this? What is this?"

"Proof that this family is more fucked up than I thought it was," Octavio replied, raising an eyebrow when the other Silva set the certificate down on the table, casually.

"What is this about? This certificate isn't real. What exactly are you trying to do here?"

"Duh. Of course it's a copy," the runner scoffed. "You didn't think we were stupid enough to give you the real one, did you? Don't even think about lying. We know."

Bertrán's nonchalant expression contorted into one fueled by rage, before returning to a more neutral look; though his face was still a shade of red, as he turned towards Elliott.

"This is your doing! I trusted that you'd be a good influence but, I should have known better than to leave him with you. Your kind are all the same! Blood thirsty, money hungry, scum!"

Elliott furrowed his eyebrows and opened his mouth to respond, but was stopped by his partner who got there before him.

"Déjale en paz!" Octavio snarled. "Rapido, Papá. Start talking. I don't want you to have time to make up some bullshit excuse for all this."

Bertrán leaned back in his chair, rubbing his fingers across his forehead, suddenly looking very defeated.

"As you wish. But Octavio...there is no going back from this. I hope you know that."

"I want to know," the speedster replied quietly, prompting Elliott to slide his hand under the table to take hold of his clammy fingers.

Mr Silva idly tapped his finger tips against his coffee cup.

"I always wanted a family," he began. "Your grandfather gifted me a sum of money to get our lives started. We didn't try for children for a few years after we'd married. When we did...we discovered Valeria couldn't have children."

"So, you went and dicked down the first other woman you could find?" Octavio interrupted. "Real classy, Papá."

"Language, Octavio. Díos Mio," his father scolded, shaking his head. "But...yes. I did have an...affair. But it wasn't a random woman. I knew her for quite some time. She worked at a lounge I would visit quite frequently after work. Things between Valeria and myself were not...the best. I believed she was not being faithful to me."

"Did she cheat on you first?"

Bertrán's eyes flicked across to the waves lapping against the supporting poles of the deck, they were on.

"She did. When I found out Emelia was pregnant, I was so ashamed. Your grandfather was furious with me. And I was furious with myself until...she said she didn't want to be a mother."

Octavio narrowed his eyes.

"Go on."

"I knew I had to save you. Whether she wanted you or not, she was in no position to raise a child. So, I explained everything to Valeria and we decided we would take you when you were born and raise you ourselves."

"Yeah, you guys did a great job at that," the runner said rolling his eyes. "None of this makes any sense. Why would she want me? She hates me."

"She does not hate you. She is your mother," Bertrán said firmly.

"She's not though, is she?"

"I told her she could...stay and be your mother, or she could leave. In exchange she got rights to the company. She made sacrifices for you. Pretended you were her own flesh and blood. Her..._pregnancy_ was difficult, so she stayed out of the office for months. It was very difficult for her. " he explained, matter of factly. "It worked out. I got the family I wanted, and she got the career and lifestyle she always dreamed of."

Elliott shook his head, in disgust, suddenly very much missing his own mother.

"So, you blackmailed her into staying," Octavio pointed out, crossing his arms. "No wonder she's such a bitch."

"Don't be ridiculous, mijo. You know what people around here are like. We did what we did to protect ourselves _and_ you. It's not like that at all."

"Isn't it?"

Bertrán rested his elbows on the table, emitting a long sigh.

"I tried to be kind to her. Gave her whatever she wanted. Worked with her. Allowed her to make decisions. Parties. I sat back and let her do as she wished. I tried to give you everything you could have wanted. Tried to do what was best for you to set you up for a successful life. But both you and your mother like pushing. Nothing was ever enough for either of you."

"Don't try to blame me for this!", Octavio piped up. "You're delusional, Papá! All you ever did was ignore me and let..._her_, ruin my life!"

"She is your mother!"

"Did she even bother to adopt me?!"

"We made sure she wouldn't have to!"

Bertrán sat back in his seat, looking stunned with himself, knowing he had said too much.

"What does that mean?" the speedster asked cautiously.

His eyes fell on the forged birth certificate. He wouldn't even have been able to tell it wasn't real if they hadn't found the original.

"You paid everyone off, didn't you?" he said quietly. "Or...blackmailed them all into staying quiet. Did you pay her off too? My...real mother?"

His father shook his head, looking down at his joined hands on the table.

"We...merely gave her what she needed to start a new life somewhere else. She didn't want you, Octavio. You have to understand-"

"Where is she now?"

"I...don't know."

Octavio stood abruptly, almost knocking over his chair in the process.

"I'm done. Let's go, Elliott."

"Tavi! Don't walk away from me!" his father called after them. "We can go home. We can talk about this and make it right! See reason, please!"

The runner turned around to look bitterly at the man, still seated at the table.

"Gracias, for breakfast...Bertrán."

* * *

Elliott collapsed onto the bed, burying his face in his pillow, breathing heavily. He turned his head when he felt the mattress shift underneath him, to see his partner pulling his underwear back on and stand up.

"You don't want to cuddle?" he asked, wrapping himself in the sheet as he sat up.

"Do I look like someone who wants to sit around and cuddle?" Octavio retaliated, causing the trickster to squint at him.

"I think after everything you've been through today, you could at least use a hug."

"Elliott," the runner sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Can you just shut up? You have no _idea_ what you're talking about!"

"Hey!" Elliott snapped back, shuffling himself to the edge of the bed. "I get that you're going through something, right now but I'm trying to help you! So, why don't you have some fucking respect?! Don't talk to me like that."

"I'm sorry," the younger legend mumbled, folding his arms. "I'm just…".

"Stressed?" Elliott finished for him. "Yeah. I can tell. Come here."

He moved himself back slightly, so his boyfriend could sit between his legs. He rubbed his hands across his shoulders slowly, feeling the tension Octavio was holding.

"Tell me how you're feeling," Elliott said, placing a kiss to one of the many freckles scattered across the speedster's back. "It might help a little."

Octavio sighed heavily, sounding more defeated than Elliott had ever heard him sound before.

"I don't know really," he began, idly picking at the skin on his hands. "I just feel...like I'm angry but...like I feel nothing at the same time."

The trickster nodded sympathetically, squeezing his shoulders in a comforting way, as he made small circles with his thumbs.

"What do I do, Elliott?" Octavio asked suddenly, his voice quiet. "I don't know how to...I don't know…".

"I wish I could make it all better," the trickster said, attempting to soothe his partner. "When I found out that my brothers were missing I...thought I'd never be able to feel better, ever again."

"It's not really the same thing….".

"I know, it's not the same but what's happened to you...it's a loss. I know you weren't super close to your mom but, still...it's a loss. And it might take a little time to process that. And that's okay."

"Do you think Papá was telling me the truth?" the runner asked.

"I'm not sure, babe. Do you?"

Octavio shrugged under his lover's touch.

"I'm not sure either."

Octavio lay in bed that night, unable to sleep, with a thousand thoughts going through his mind. He turned onto his side, his eyes falling on his boyfriend who was sleeping soundly next to him. He felt like his whole life was a lie. His whole life had been a lie. He'd always been proud of who he became after he stopped living by his parents wishes. Octane had given him everything he ever dreamed of. But now ,all of a sudden, it felt like there was something missing. For the first time in a long time, he wanted to delve back into who Octavio was and where he came from, and the nagging feeling to do so wouldn't leave him alone. He grabbed his phone from the bedside table, quickly turning the brightness down, as to not blind himself or disturb his partner. He went through all his social media apps again; typing in his birth mother's name in the search bars, even going as far as to search on some more obscure or less popular social media sites, but he always got the same results as before. Nothing. He slipped out from under the covers, and attached his legs, making his way outside and onto the deck. He drummed his fingers on the back of his phone, as he looked up at the night sky. He could see the moon and the stars so clearly, from here. He shivered when a breeze hit him, having forgotten how chilly Psamathe could get at night, especially close to the ocean. Octavio unlocked his phone once more, scrolling through his contacts until he landed on a name he hadn't seen in years; not since the gauntlet. His thumb hovered over the call button, until he shook his head, opting to send a text instead.

_I need a favour._

His phone chimed almost immediately with a response, startling him.

_Another one?_

_I'll pay. _

He waited for a response that didn't come, and he partly wanted to throw his phone down onto the sand out of frustration, until he got something he didn't expect. A phone call.

"Hola?"

"Octavio Silva," an all too familiar voice greeted him, his tone mocking. "What do I owe the pleasure, your grace?"

Octavio rolled his eyes, suddenly thankful this wasn't a video call.

"I told you I needed a favour. Quit playing around, Rey. I don't have all night."

"Touchy much, amigo?" the other man chuckled. "It's not a surprise you're calling then. But just so you know, I don't deal to just anyone these days. But I'll admit I'm a little surprised. We all thought you'd gone clean. _Mostly_."

"Not that," the runner replied firmly. "I need you to find someone."

"Oh? Now I'm interested. Alright, Silva. Let's talk business."

* * *

The next few days passed in a blur of agonising anxiety. Originally, Octavio didn't want to tell Elliott about the phone call, but he'd managed to drag the information from him eventually. Unsurprisingly, the trickster was empathetic to the situation, and told him of times he'd almost driven himself mad searching for any information he could find on his missing brothers. He'd paid people high sums of money for little to no clues on their whereabouts, and warned the speedster not to get his hopes up too much. It was difficult for them to remain in the vacation spirit, and Octavio spent most of his time running along the same stretch of beach, or pestering his boyfriend to pose for photos that he could edit, just to occupy his time; not that Elliott minded in the slightest.

"Tav?"

Octavio looked up from his plate to see his partner looking at him expectantly.

"Babe, if you keep daydreaming your breakfast is gonna go cold."

The runner wrinkled his nose and looked down at his omelette, before shoving the plate away.

"I'm not hungry."

"You haven't even touched it," Elliott said, pushing the plate back towards him. "You've barely eaten anything the last couple of days. Just try a little bit."

"I don't want it," Octavio replied, standing up from the table and moving to step outside. "You eat it, if you want."

He rested his elbows against the railing on the deck, looking out towards the sea. The waves seemed more unruly than usual, this morning. It wasn't long until he heard the sliding door open behind him, and his partner stepped out to join him. Elliott wordlessly wrapped his arms around his waist, hugging him from behind and taking a moment to kiss his temple, leaving his mouth there.

"Maybe we should just go home," he whispered. "I'm sure we could get an early flight. It might make you feel better."

"We can't even go home," Octavio mumbled, leaning back into his lover's touch. "Talos isn't our home. Not really. It sucks."

Elliott chuckled quietly at the remark.

"Yeah, it kinda does. Being here made me realise how much I like nice weather. And being able to order pizza whenever we want."

"I miss that too."

"Maybe we could skip the hotel dinner tonight and order some pizza instead?" the trickster suggested, smoothing a hand down the younger legend's back. "We can get whatever toppings and sides you want. How about that?"

Before Octavio could answer, his attention was diverted to the buzzing in his shorts pocket. He took it out and unlocked the screen, covering his mouth with his hand, upon seeing a text from Rey.

"Holy shit."

* * *

"She's pretty," Elliott said, wanting to break the stunned silence that hung over the room for the last few minutes.

Octavio flicked between the couple of photos, in the email he'd been sent, containing whatever basic information Rey could find on Emelia; including her name, some pictures, her last three addresses and an email address, but it seemed to be for some cake decorating business, and not a personal one.

"Do you think she looks like me?"

The trickster looked at the woman on screen, and back to his partner. She had long, dark wavy hair, a mole on one cheek, deep brown eyes and a larger nose than Octavio's. He ran a hand over his chin before answering.

"I guess she does, a little? I think you look more like your dad. S-sorry."

"It's fine," Octavio sighed, leaning back in his seat. "Everyone says that. Why is her name different?"

"Maybe she got married? Or just...changed it?" Elliott suggested with a shrug. "It's only the surname that's different."

The speedster nodded slowly.

"Maybe."

"Are you okay?" Elliott asked, taking his boyfriend's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze, grateful when Octavio squeezed back.

"I don't know, Ell. I thought...I'd feel more? Am I supposed to love her? Seeing her just makes me more confused."

"Well, you don't know her," the trickster soothed. "And this has all happened so fast. Of course you're not going to know how to feel."

Octavio began to pick at skin on his fingers, thinking the situation over.

"Would it be weird if I...wanted to talk to her? I mean, I talk to people I never met before all the time. This is no different."

"Whatever you want to do, I'll support you," Elliott told him, squeezing his hand again. "You know that."

* * *

"Are you nervous?" Elliott asked, leaning against the sink, watching his partner brush his teeth.

"I don't think so," Octavio replied, after he'd rinsed his mouth out. "Should I be?"

"I'm a little nervous," the trickster admitted, stepping down into the bedroom to begin searching through the dresser.

They had to extend their stay, to accommodate this meeting with Octavio's birth mother. They'd decided a few days prior, to just bite the bullet and contact the only email address they had for her. After a couple of correspondences over a few days, Emelia had agreed to meet them in the city, under the conditions it was just Octavio and no other Silvas would be in attendance. Octavio wasn't sure what to expect, since their interactions so far had been fairly brief and through text only, and now he was meeting her, for real, tomorrow. Emelia had suggested they exchange numbers for convenience, in case one of them got lost on the way to their chosen meeting point.

"What should I wear?" Elliott continued, pulling out different articles of clothing. "I want something that says, 'hey I'm kind of your future son-in-law, but also like...a cool guy," y'know?"

"Elliott…," Octavio began, coming to sit on the edge of the bed. "I've been doing some thinking and...maybe you shouldn't come."

"What?" the trickster questioned, turning to face his boyfriend, his expression falling. "But...you said I could come. I want to support you."

"I know you do, amor. And I love you for it, but-."

"Moms love me!" Elliott piped up. "Seriously! I've hosted so many bachelorette parties and my bar and the moms always _love_ me."

"I just think maybe...this is something I should do on my own," the runner replied, trying to ignore the chocolate puppy eyes his partner was giving him.

"But you don't have to do it alone," the trickster said, kneeling in front of him and massaging his fingers into his thighs. "I know you like your independence but, I love you. I just want to be there for you."

Octavio scratched the light stubble growing on the side of his face, and looked down at his partner.

Those damn eyes.

"Fine," he said. "You can come. But...stop calling her my mom."

"Yes, sir!" the trickster said, jumping to his feet and eyeing his partner facetiously. "Anything for you, _Master_ Octavio."

"Shut up!" the runner replied, with a small laugh, grabbing a pillow and swatting his boyfriend playfully.

It was some time before dawn when Octavio awoke, the next morning. It was just beginning to become bright outside, he noticed, as he rolled to the side of the bed and attached his prosthetics. He glanced over his shoulder towards Elliott, who was still fast asleep, snoring softly. He stood up and stepped as quietly as he could around the room, tugging on his clothes; though he knew from experience, it was unnecessary with Elliott's tendency to be an incredibly heavy sleeper. He hovered by his boyfriend's side of the bed, and looked down at his sleeping form momentarily, before taking his phone off the bedside table and turning off the alarm the trickster had set.

"Lo siento, mi amor," he whispered, placing a kiss onto the fade shaved into the side of his partner's head. "Usted no tiene que ser una parte de esta."

* * *

Octavio shuffled from one foot to the other, as he waited outside the café where he was supposed to be meeting Emelia. He'd stopped by Rey's place on the way to give him his payment, wanting to get the exchange out of the way as soon as possible. Rey had offered him a little bag of something as a token of goodwill. He had apparently missed him dearly, but Octavio didn't believe that for a second. He politely refused his offer, stating he was trying to stay on track and keep the use of any substances exclusive to his time spent in the arena.

"When did you get so boring, Silva?"

He thought about that as he leaned back against the wall, exhaling deeply. He certainly didn't feel boring right now, with a mixture of adrenaline and anxiety hurtling through his veins, making his heart beat uncomfortably. He was beginning to wish he'd taken the bag now. If any time was a good time for a smoke, it was now. He shook his head and rolled his shoulders back.

"Get your shit together, Octavio," he told himself. "You're not scared of this. You're not scared of anything."

He pushed the door of the café open, causing the bell above the door to jingle, making him jump slightly. He looked around the room, until his eyes landed on a woman sitting at a table near the back. She was mostly turned away from him, due to the angle she was sitting, but somehow he knew it was her.

"Fuck," he muttered under his breath, as he approached.

There was no turning back now.

"Um...hi?"

She looked up at him, smiling sheepishly as she toyed with the brightly coloured ribbon secured to the end of her braid.

"Hi."

They fell silent, looking at each other awkwardly for some time, until Emelia sat up straighter and gestured to the other side of the table.

"Sit down, if you'd like."

Octavio wasn't sure what to say, when he took his seat. He'd seen the TV shows where people were reunited with lost family members. The people on screen were always so emotional and like they'd finally found this missing piece to their lives. Elliott would sit and cry over those shows for hours, until Ajay suggested it probably wasn't the best idea to keep watching them. This wasn't like those TV shows. This was real and it wasn't emotional. He barely felt anything at all.

"I hope you don't mind, I already ordered something," Emelia eventually spoke up, wrapping her hands around her mug of black coffee. "I was a little nervous. I needed something to occupy my hands."

Octavio rejoined her at the table after he'd ordered his own coffee. He was tempted by the flakey pastries on the counter, realising he'd skipped breakfast again but decided against it.

"So, you...own some sort of bakery or something?" he asked, receiving a soft smile from the woman, who seemed grateful for the conversation starter.

"It's actually a café, a little like this one but...our style is more rustic, I suppose."

"Is it...in the city somewhere?"

"No, I...moved from the city a long time ago," Emelia spoke, keeping her voice quiet before taking a sip of her coffee. "It's a funny story actually. I went to school, thinking I wanted to be an accountant. I ended up dropping out when I met my wife. She's an amazing baker and cake decorator. We opened the shop together, so the only thing I'm counting these days is how many left over cakes we get to take home after our shift."

Octavio drummed his fingers on the side of his mug.

"Okay, so you're married now."

"Yes," she nodded. "It seems like you're doing well for yourself too."

The runner was slightly taken back by the remark.

"You know who I am?"

"Of course," she chuckled. "Most of Psamathe knows who you are."

"So, why didn't you ever...say anything?"

Emelia ran her finger around the edge of her mug, thinking about her answer carefully.

"I...didn't think...Your father promised me you'd never find out. And I knew I had to stay away."

"You're scared of him," the speedster pointed out. "Why?"

"Everyone's weary of the rich here. You'd be an idiot not to be."

"Then why did you come? Why'd you answer my email at all?"

"Because...it would have been cruel to leave you wondering," she replied, looking down at the table. "I know you probably have so many questions. I...don't know if I'll be able to answer them all."

Octavio leaned back in his seat, digging his nails into his palm. He only had one thing he really wanted to know.

"Why didn't you want me?"

She looked both shocked and saddened by the question and it took her a few minutes to begin talking.

"I was a young woman with...nothing. I wanted to go to school. I was working at a bar. I wasn't ready to-."

"Or you just saw a way to make an easy fortune," Octavio cut her off, folding his arms. "I know they paid you. Papá told me."

"I...no! That's not…," she stammered, shaking her head. "Nothing about what happened was easy. I did what I had to do to protect myself. And I still do it everyday. I have to take care of my family. They don't know anything about this. They can't."

"He said the same thing," the speedster scoffed, looking away. "Everyone just looks out for themselves, huh?"

"I understand this must be difficult for you," Emelia said quietly. "It's not easy for me either. But...it was complicated and still is. I came here for your benefit, but if your father finds out...You'll maybe understand some day when you have children of your own."

Octavio wrinkled his nose, glaring at her.

"You have _other _children?"

"My wife…," she began cautiously. "She had a little boy before we met. His name is Roman. He's actually a big-."

"So, _now_ you have time to be a mom?" he scowled, his voice trembling as he stood up. "You're all the same! You pick and choose when to give a shit about people!"

"Octavio, please," she said, grabbing his wrist. "I never even got to see you when you were born. They took you away. But seeing you now...If you just let me explain."

"No," Octavio replied, shaking his head, jerking his arm away. "I'm sick of everyone trying to make me feel sorry for them! I'm sick of listening to everyone's excuses! This was a mistake. We shouldn't have done this. You shouldn't have come."

* * *

Elliott's eyes fluttered open, the light of the day creeping into the room and disturbing his slumber. He groaned to himself, turning onto his side. He could feel the sheet cling to him slightly, his body feeling sticky with heat. He slid his hand over to the other side of the bed, in his groggy state, finding it empty. He rubbed at his eyes as he sat up, looking around the room, finding it lifeless.

"Tav?" he called out, his voice croaky with sleep.

Elliott dragged himself out of bed, and stepped across the room to knock on the toilet door.

"Babe? You in there?"

When he didn't get a response he glanced out onto the back deck, but there was no sign of Octavio anywhere. He returned back to the bed, and took his phone from the nightstand. He cursed out loud when he noticed the time; it was passed one in the afternoon. How did he manage to sleep in like this? And why hadn't Octavio woken him up? He checked his messages for a text from his boyfriend but found nothing. He skimmed through his phone book and quickly pressed the dial button on Octavio's number.

"Come on. Pick up," he said to himself, nibbling on his lip.

He tried this a couple of times, but only ever got through to the runner's voicemail. The trickster began to pace the room, as he tried again, noticing the handwritten note perched on the dresser for the first time.

_I'm sorry, amor, but I really need to deal with this on my own. Please, don't be pissed at me. Treat yourself to a spa treatment or something. I'll be back soon. _

_Love you_.

Elliott ran a hand through his slightly greasy curls, with a sigh.

"Dammit, Tav."

* * *

Octavio stormed into the front lobby of the Silva Pharmaceuticals offices; ignoring the call of the receptionist as he passed by the front desk, and boarded the elevator. His phone began to ring, and assuming it was Elliott calling again, he switched his phone to silent mode, unable to even bear the thought of talking to his partner right now. He let his head fall back against the glass wall, drumming his fingers against the can of energy drink he'd picked up on the way. He wiped the back of his hand against the sticky marks on cheeks. Not that he'd been crying on the way here, at all. Not even a little bit. He downed the rest of his drink, when he reached the floor he wanted, tossing the empty can in the trash as he quickly walked down the hall, not bothering to look into any of the other offices on the way; he knew exactly which one he wanted.

"Octavio!" his father explained, when the runner barged through the glass door of his office. "What...are you doing here?"

"What's the matter, Papá?" Octavio replied, his voice low. "Aren't you happy to see your son?"

"Of course!" Bertrán said, closing whatever file he was working on, on his computer and turning around in his desk chair to face his son. "I just...wasn't expecting you to come back so soon."

"It's not like you called to check on me or anything," the speedster mumbled, folding his arms.

"Yes, well I...thought you might need some space. Some time to process everything."

"Yeah, sure."

"Oh, it's you," a woman's voice came from behind him, followed by the all too familiar clicking of high-heels on the floor.

Octavio's shoulders tensed as his mother stepped into the room, carrying a large stack of files, which she promptly dumped on her husband's desk.

"With all the stomping and slamming of doors, I could have sworn someone let a fighting bull loose in here."

Octavio wrinkled his nose at her sarcastic tone.

"How nice of you to finally show up, Mamá. Did you finally run out of rich people to brown-nose?"

"I was away on business," Valeria answered firmly, throwing a glare towards Bertrán. "Not all of us can leave and go on a mini vacation whenever we feel like it. Someone has to keep this company afloat. Thanks to me, my intern Matthew will have some excellent opportunities coming his way."

"Until you decide to ruin his life too," the runner scoffed, receiving a raised eyebrow in response.

"Always with the theatrics, Octavio. Honestly, no wonder you-."

"He knows," Bertrán interjected, before the pair could start arguing, resting his chin on his hands. "He knows everything."

It took a couple of wordless looks between the couple for Valeria to understand his meaning.

"How could you be so stupid?" she said, narrowing her eyes at her husband. "Idiota!"

"It wasn't my fault, he-."

"No," his wife spat back. "Nothing is _ever_ your fault, is it? You're a joke. A disgrace to the Silva name. Both of you."

"What would you know?!" Octavio retaliated, his tone rising. "You're not even a real Silva!"

"And yet, I wear the title so much better than both of you put together," his mother snarled, stepping towards him. "You men are all the time. You wouldn't know what a sacrifice was if it hit you in the face."

The speedster scoffed.

"And what would know about them? All you care about is what you can gain from everybody."

"I made bigger sacrifices to raise you, than you'll ever understand."

"Raise me?" Octavio laughed, though there was no humour behind it. "Is that what you like to tell yourself? That you _raised_ me? What a _great_ job you did."

"I did a better job than that common whore ever could have," Valeria spoke. "You're just too much of a spoiled brat to see it."

"Whore?" the runner repeated, clenching his fists by his sides. "I suppose it takes one to know one. What was it you did again, Mamá? Jump on the first rich guy that'd have you, just to claw your way up the social-."

He was cut off by a quick strike to the face, that left his cheek red and stinging. He peered up at his mother, his hazel eyes appearing to shift to more a more venomous green;

"I'll ruin you for this. For everything. Wait till the whole Psamathe press here's about this, and your precious reputation comes crumbling down around you. Piece by piece."

He inhaled sharply when the same hand that had struck him was on his jaw, and manicured nails were attempting to pierce into his skin.

"You have nothing on us," she hissed, holding him firmly. "You're nothing but a spineless little rat, who never knew how lucky he was. Who never had any manners and never knew his place."

"Valeria! Basta!" Bertran shouted, standing up and rushing to pull his wife's arm away from his son. "I said, enough! Leave him."

The runner narrowed his eyes at his mother, while she folded her arms, looking away.

"Don't be so surprised, Papá. It's not the first time she's done it," he said, straightening his shirt, before looking back at Valeria. "I have everything I need to ruin you."

"What is it that you want, Octavio? What will stop all this?" his father asked him, running a hand through his hair. "I'm seriously beginning to doubt you came here for a family reunion. How unfortunate."

For a moment, the young legend was speechless, his mind and heart racing. He didn't think he'd be offered anything besides some bullshit excuses, so he never really thought about it.

"My inheritance," he blurted eventually, internally cursing himself as soon as he said it. "And...for both of you to just...leave me alone."

"Perhaps you are my son, after all," Valeria laughed wryly, smoothing the front of her blouse with her hand. "But no deal. We're not stupid."

"I can perhaps...organise something of the sort," Bertrán said quietly, ignoring the stern glare from his wife. "No inheritance. But you can have what's left of your trust fund and something extra. My lawyers will sort it in a couple of days."

"Cool. Whatever," Octavio replied, with a nonchalant shrug, his gaze falling to his feet.

"You can not be serious?!" his mother spoke up, eyeing the two men with disdain. "Bertrán, for the love of God! You've always been too lenient with him! No wonder he turned out the way he did!"

"We'll speak no more of it," her husband told her, leaning back against his desk. "What needs to be done to protect this family, shall be done. That's the way it's always been."

The room fell quiet after that, and when no one decided to speak again, Octavio wordlessly turned on his heel to leave.

"Go on. Go. Remember to keep your mouth shut," Valeria called after him, making him pause in the doorway. "Oh, and Octavio? If I ever see you inside this office again, I won't hesitate to call security."

He made sure to slam the door on his way out, hastily making his way down the corridor, trying to pay little attention to the stares that followed him from the other offices he passed.

"Octavio!"

He looked up, as he called for the elevator, turning to see his father, leave his office to follow him.

"Tavi, please! Don't walk out of here again. Stay. We can sort this out and be the family we were always supposed to be. You can move back here. Take Elliott with you. You can have a life here," Bertrán spoke, his tone desperate. "What does he like, hmm? Bars? Nightclubs? Restaurants? Hotels? He can have all that here. With you. I'll make sure of it. You'd like that wouldn't you? Being able to provide for him and whatever family you might have."

He flinched when a firm hand was placed on his shoulder, his father's eyes piercing into his own.

"You just have to stay, mijo. Please. Even after everything you've done, I'm still willing to take you back. That must mean something to you."

Octavio pulled away, anger beginning to boil in his stomach.

"After everything _I've_ done?!"

"That's...not what I meant!" Bertrán spluttered, reaching out for his son again, only to have his hand swatted away. "Tavi, please. You know that's not what I meant."

"I see what you've been doing now!" Octavio said, his voice trembling. "All this time, you've been pretending you care just to get me back here to go along with this pretend, perfect family you have in your head. Trying to make it seem like everything that goes wrong is my fault, when it's yours...and _hers_. And then trying to use Elliott against me?! The one thing that actually makes me happy and you're trying to control it! That's why you've always sucked up to him so much, isn't it?! So, he'd try and convince me to come back here!"

"No," the older Silva said, shaking his head. "Mijo...Mira. You've got it all wrong. I just wanted the best for you. If you just let me explain, everything-."

"No," Octavio cut him off, stepping back and pressing the elevator button again. "It's too late for all that."

"Octavio, you can't leave. Not again," Bertrán called after him, as he entered the elevator. "I'm your father."

His hand trembled as he touched the button that would take him downstairs, the doors automatically closing.

"Adiós, Papá."

He paused for a few moments, when he stepped back into the downstairs lobby, waiting to see if anyone was going to follow him. But no one did.

* * *

Elliott chewed on nails, as he sat in bed looking at his phone for perhaps the millionth time that day. He'd been calling and texting Octavio all day and was yet to get a response. His stomach was overflowing with anxiety, and he nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard rustling outside the door of the beach house, until it was pushed in and his partner stepped inside.

"Hey."

"Hey?" Elliott repeated, glowering at his boyfriend. "You've been gone all day, and all you have to say for yourself is 'hey'?"

"I'm sorry," the runner said, taking a few tentative steps towards him, stopping when Elliott got up from his spot on the bed.

He half expected to receive an earful from the trickster, but instead he was swooped into a warm hug.

"I was so worried," Elliott told him, holding him tightly. "I th-thought something horrible happened like...you were kidnapped and were being brainwashed to be a CEO, or som-something. I th-thought about calling the police but then I thought that would just make everything worse."

"I'm sorry," Octavio replied, rubbing his boyfriend's back soothingly. "I'm okay. I'm here now."

"I'm so glad you're safe. Don't pull that shit ever again," Elliott said, pulling back and resting a hand on both of the speedster's cheeks; noticing his puffy eyes and dark circles for the first time. "Oh, babe...you look horrible. What happened?"

The trickster took both of his hands and led him back towards the bed, so they could sit down, facing each other.

"Did you meet her? What happened? Is she nice?"

Octavio shut his eyes tightly, shaking his head.

"I'll tell you everything...I just need a sec," he said, leaning forward to bury his face in his lover's shoulder. "My brain is going too fast. I feel like my head is gonna explode. Did you have your spa treatment?"

"No. I couldn't even think about relaxing. I was thinking about you," Elliott chuckled softly, bringing his hand around to massage the nape of the speedster's neck.

"I'm sorry."

"I know. It's okay. Take all the time you need. I'm right here."

The two men jumped apart when there was a heavy knock at the door.

"Who is that?" Elliott whispered, placing a protective hold on his partner's arm. "Is that them?!"

"I don't know," Octavio whispered back, watching as the trickster stood up and began slowly making his way to the door.

"Stay there," he told him, peering through the peephole, though he couldn't see much due to the dark.

Octavio watched his boyfriend intently as he opened the door, preparing himself to pounce if anything fishy went down. Instead, Elliott seemed to be in hushed conversation with someone and stepped back into the room holding a familiar cardboard box and some bags.

"You, uh, have a visitor," he said, turning back to the runner before placing the box and bags on the floor carefully.

Octavio sat up slightly straighter, relaxing slightly when he realised it was someone he didn't actually mind seeing.

"I hope you don't mind me stopping by," Maya said quietly, as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her. "I brought the stuff you'd left without, and anything else I thought you might want. I didn't think you'd want to go back to the house. Your father told me what happened."

"He did?" the runner asked nervously, standing up. "What...what exactly did he tell you?"

"That Valeria isn't who you thought she was," she replied, with a shake of her head. "I had no idea, Tavi. I really didn't. I'm so sorry."

"He...just told you that?" Octavio continued. "I thought it was meant to be a big secret."

"Yes, well...alcohol tends to loosen the tongue."

"It sure does," Elliott chuckled, suddenly feeling awkward when the other two people in the room glanced in his direction. "I, uh...I'm a bartender. Kind of."

"He's drinking?" the speedster asked quietly, receiving a sympathetic look from his nanny.

"Don't worry about that," she said softly. "You just look after yourself."

"Right," Octavio replied, with a nod, scratching his arm awkwardly. "I guess...I have some stuff to tell you both."

Over the next while, Octavio filled them in on the events of the day, from his meeting with his birth mother to what happened in his father's office.

"I just…don't get it," Elliott scowled, his tone laced with frustration. "How can they just...do this and no one gives a damn?!"

"Money protects people from most things on Psamathe," Maya informed him. "If they have enough of it. It's not an usual thing for cover-ups to happen. Some...are an awful lot darker and sinister."

"So, what do we do now?" the trickster asked, toying with the silver bracelet on his wrist. "I hate this feeling of...not being able to do anything."

"There's nothing we can do, amor," Octavio replied, with a sigh. "We just...get over it. It's not like...we were the closest family in the world."

Elliott sighed, leaning back in his seat.

"I guess...life doesn't always work out the way you want, huh? It just feels like a big old kick in the nuts."

Octavio began to giggle at his partner's expression, stopping when his stomach began to gurgle loudly.

"Sounds like dinner time is upon us," Maya said, laughing warmly. "I should...leave you to it."

"You can...stay, if you like?" Elliott piped up, looking at his boyfriend for approval. "I can order enough stuff in for all of us."

"I wouldn't want to impose. This is...technically meant to be a vacation for you both, right?"

"Yeah, but...you should stay," the runner said, gesturing for the woman to sit back down. "If you want to. I think I'd...like that."

"I...would like that, too," Maya replied with a soft smile, sitting back down. "As long as you're sure it's not a bother."

"Of course not!" Elliott said, briefly standing to take the menu from the nightstand. "As the saying goes, 'me culo es tu culo', and all that."

The trickster looked between his boyfriend and their guest, who had broken out into a fit of giggles, with a confused look on his face.

"What? What did I say?"

The group spent the remainder of the evening eating and drinking and exchanging stories. Maya shared some tales of Octavio's teenage years, while the couple filled her in on stories from their time in the games, to how they met and their first Christmas together, which led to Octavio proudly showing off some pictures of Mica and the ring on his middle finger.

"So, yeah," Elliott said, coming to the end of the story he was telling. "I would like to travel more."

"Elliott's dream is to see as many planets as possible!" Octavio chimed in excitedly. "We've still got lots more places to visit!"

"How exciting," Maya hummed, a soft smile forming on her lips, when she noticed the loving look the runner was giving his partner. "I suppose I should get going now. Before it gets too late."

"What are you gonna do now?" Octavio asked, eyeing the woman as she stood. "Just go back to the house?"

"I think you might have been right, Octavio," she replied, with a glint in her eye. "Maybe it is time I get my ass out of here. There must be more to life than making beds."

"Yeah, go crazy!" the runner exclaimed, with a laugh. "You must be missing excitement in your life since you don't have to look after me anymore."

"I suppose, I don't," she replied, reaching to give Octavio a hug. "I'll be sure to send you a postcard from wherever I end up. And you send me one from your next adventure. We shouldn't go so long without talking again."

"I'll try to keep that in mind," Octavio told her, with a shy smile.

"I'll walk you out," Elliott piped up, following the woman to the door, lowering his voice before speaking again. "Thanks for staying. I...think he really needed this today."

"Of course," Maya replied, patting the trickster's forearm gently. "Take care of him. He's a good boy."

Elliott stroked his partner's hair gently, as they lay in bed that night, with the light still on. Neither of them wanted to sleep just yet, and they had laid together in a comfortable silence for the past while.

"Are you okay?" the trickster eventually asked.

Though he enjoyed having the opportunity to spend a quiet moment with his lover, he couldn't help but notice how out of character it was for the runner.

"Yeah," Octavio replied, with a slight tilt of his head. "I mean it...feels weird but…".

He trailed off with a sigh.

"It's not like...it really changes anything. I...never really saw my family anyways…".

"I know, but-".

"Mira, there's something else I have to tell you, that I didn't wanna say in front of Maya," Octavio interrupted, propping himself up on his elbow.

"Okay?" Elliott replied, somewhat nervous. "What is it?"

"Papá...is giving me money to stay quiet," he began, peering towards his partner to see his reaction.

"You mean...like...a bribe?"

"No...well...I don't know. Maybe."

Elliott stayed quiet for a moment, thinking it over.

"I don't know, babe. I've...done some stuff like that before and it always ends up messy."

"It won't," Octavio assured him. "They won't risk doing anything funny. And besides...I can use this money to take care of you! You won't have to work another day in your life! Depending on...how much I get."

"But...I like working."

"Then we use it for something else! We can travel or...Put it towards getting our own place. We can make a little spot for your mom with us, if she needs it down the line."

"You'd...do that?"

"Yeah," Octavio replied, cupping his cheek. "Gotta look out for the one mamá I got left, right? Trust me, amor. This is a good thing."

Elliott nodded slowly, bringing his hand to rest over the one on his cheek.

"I trust you."

It was dark when Elliott woke up, groggy and confused. He didn't remember turning the lights off. He must have fallen asleep while he and Octavio were chatting. He peered through the darkness, noticing the other side of the bed was empty.

"Babe?"

He looked around the room but it was completely shrouded in darkness with no sign of his partner anywhere.

"Tav?" he called out again, moving to get out of bed, muttering to himself. "Dammit, Tav. Not this again."

He wasn't sure what drew him to the back door of the house, and made him look through the glass door, seeing a lone figure sitting with their back to him. He quietly slid the door open and stepped out onto the deck and down onto the beach, his bare feet dragging silently through the sand as he approached the sniffling individual.

"Babe? What are you doing out here? It's the middle of the night."

Octavio briefly glanced at his partner before turning his face away, wiping his cheeks with the palm of his hand.

"Hey," Elliott said quietly, sitting down next to him and wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "What's going on?"

"I hate crying in front of people," the runner muttered, roughly rubbing at his eye with a balled up fist.

The trickster gently pulled his hand away from his face, sliding his fingers through Octavio's and caressing his thumb lightly, with his own.

"It's okay to cry. Sometimes you just need to. It's okay."

And just like that it was like the floodgates opened, as Octavio buried his face in his partner's chest, his slim shoulders shaking profusely with every sob.

"Why am I so stupid?!" he cried, receiving comforting rubs to his back. "For a while, I really thought he gave a shit about me and that...maybe we could work things out some day. But the most fucked up part is, for the longest time, I thought the way they acted with me was normal. But now...I see you and your mom and what you have and...I have so many moms and none of them give a shit. I'll never have that. They're all the same!"

"I'm so sorry," Elliott soothed. "I know it probably doesn't mean anything to you now but...sometimes families aren't always the ones you're given but they're the ones you find. And I know for sure, there's so many people back home that care about you. I love you so much, Tav."

"I love you too. You're the only thing in my life that ever made sense," Octavio whispered back, through a sniffle. "I don't know where I'd be without you, Ell. I...don't even want to think about it."

"You know, I fall more in love with you everyday," Elliott hummed, running his thumbs over his boyfriend's tear stained cheeks. "I've never felt like this with anyone else."

It had taken a while for Octavio to calm down, his cries now replaced with the occasional hiccup. They had settled themselves on one of the sun loungers on the beach. They lay facing each other, using each other's warmth to try combat the cold night breeze.

"Why do you say that?" Octavio asked, unable to fight the bright smile that spread to his face.

"Because it's true," the trickster told him, rubbing his hand over the goosebumps that had formed on the younger legend's arms. "And I was hoping it would make you smile. I'm...sorry for doubting you before."

"It's not your fault," Octavio replied. "I...still need to get better at this, talking about my feelings crap."

"So, what do you want to do tomorrow?" Elliott asked. "I can still look into getting us an earlier flight home if you don't want to be here anymore."

The speedster thought it over for a few moments.

"I think...we should stay. We should try and do something fun. There's no point letting them ruin our vacation more than they already have."

"If you're sure," the trickster responded, stifling a yawn. "I'm always done for some fun."

"I think I'd like to go to the aquarium," Octavio mused out loud. "And then...I guess, I can show you some of the fancy restaurants around here."

"But you hate that kind of thing."

"Yeah, but...I know you like it," the runner replied with a shrug. "And I think I owe you a spa treatment too."

"Is that everything you want to do?" Elliott asked, a playful tone to his voice.

"Did you have something else you wanted to do, amor?"

"Maybe."

"Come on, then. Spill your secrets," Octavio said, a smirk forming on his lips as he watched his partner adjust his position so he was sitting cross-legged.

"Permission to be cheesy as hell?"

"You got it."

"All of this has got me thinking. I want…," the trickster began, dragging out his words, taking Octavio's hand. "To do the forever thing."

The runner blinked at his partner a few times, confused.

"The what now?"

Elliott averted his eyes for a moment, obviously embarrassed.

"It's where we...do everything together. Fight everything together. Overcome everything together and no matter what happens, just...be together. Forever."

Octavio sat up slightly, his heart hammering in his chest.

"Elliott...are you…?"

"Being dumb? Y-yeah. P-probably."

"That...sounds awesome," the speedster replied, his voice barely a whisper.

"Yeah, it...kinda does," Elliott chuckled, lovingly looking into his partner's eyes that seemed to sparkle in the moonlight.

He held up his hand, extending his pinkie finger towards the runner.

"So, starting from tomorrow...What do you say? Forever?"

Octavio sat up fully now, wrapping his own finger around his partner's, in a pinkie swear, as he leaned over their joined hands to brush his lips against his love's.

"Forever."


	24. Happy Endings

Octavio rocked back and forth on his feet, moving the shopping cart he was left in charge of, in the process. He looked at the shelf he was parked next to, examining the various jars and containers of herbs and spices. He wouldn't even know where to begin with any of this stuff. He loved foods with a kick of spice but, in reality, Elliott was the self-proclaimed expert at flavor balancing in cooking. Octavio thought Makoa might rival him in that category, but he was still grateful for his partner's passion for home cooking. It was one of the many things he loved about him.

"It feels so good to be able to do this for ourselves again. No more imported, generic meal plan kits for us!" the trickster said, carefully placing some of the ingredients he'd collected into the cart.

Octavio smiled warmly at him.

"I can't believe you're this excited about doing the groceries. It's kind of adorable."

Elliott chuckled quietly at the remark, following it with a contented sigh.

"I'm just so glad to be home."

The runner nodded, sharing his boyfriend's satisfaction. It wasn't long after they'd returned from their Psamathe vacation that they received the news about returning to Solace, due to Kings Canyon being "safe enough" for them to compete in again. The announcement was made at a gathering of legends and fledglings, and Octavio swore he saw Elliott tear up a little at the news, which wasn't really a surprise to anyone. Anyone who was close to the trickster knew he never really settled on Talos. Octavio didn't really mind either way; wherever Elliott was, was home to him, especially after everything that had happened recently. But, he was a fan of being able to wear his beloved crop tops again, with the weather on Solace being infinitely warmer than Talos. They had all sorts of plans to celebrate their first night back on the planet and back in their own apartment, but after ordering some take-out both of them had fallen asleep on the couch and didn't wake up until very late the next day. It was nice, being able to do the mundane everyday things, like grocery shopping together again, which in turn, led to arguing over who was going to pay for the groceries.

"We don't need to split things anymore!" the runner said, as soon as they exited the store with their carrier bags in hand, beginning the short walk home. "I have all this money now! I can take care of all this stuff!"

"But I can also take care of my share," Elliott told him. "I know you're just trying to be nice, but I thought we agreed we were going to save that money for the future?"

Octavio sighed at that, and shrugged. When did the future start? Tomorrow was the future to him, but it seemed like it meant something else to Elliott, and it was some far off goal they'd never quite reach.

"We can put it towards our house or...kids' college funds or something," the trickster continued. "For now, I think I can take care of buying us some food."

"What about _my_ college fund?" Octavio replied, a playful tone to his voice, that made his boyfriend laugh.

"I thought you didn't want to go to college?"

"Maybe I will now," he continued, adjusting the weight of the bags he was carrying. "Maybe I'll...become a director so everyone will have no choice but to watch my bad movies."

"You can do whatever you want. If that's your dream," Elliott said, shooting him a bright smile. "I'll support you. As long as I get to play the lead in all your movies of course."

Octavio snorted.

"Imagine. _Me_ in college? Papá would shit his pants from shock, I'm sure."

The conversation fell quiet after that.

* * *

Octavio closed the kitchen cupboard shut, after taking a few moments to admire his handiwork. He really was getting creative with putting away the groceries, having decided to playfully place all the herb and spice jars upside down, knowing it would annoy his partner once he found them that way. He perched himself at the breakfast bar, observing the trickster while he stocked the fridge with the remaining food. He'd take any opportunity to see his boyfriend half bent over, and this was no exception.

"Ah, home sweet home," Elliott said with a satisfied sigh, kicking the refrigerator door shut behind him. "Back to the old grind, huh?"

He stepped towards the younger legend and wrapped him in a hug, which was lovingly reciprocated. He rocked them back and forth steadily, until Octavio tilted his face up to look at him.

"What old grind?"

"You know how much I've missed working at the bar," Elliott replied, feeling his partner slump into his arms. "I'm excited to get back to work."

"Elliott, no," the speedster whined, pulling away from him slightly. "I've gotten used to having you around more. I don't want you to go back to working all the time, and I barely get to see you."

"It'll just be a couple of shifts here and there," the trickster replied, brushing Octavio's fringe back so he could place a gentle kiss on his forehead, trying to reassure him. "I promise."

"You said that before."

"Yeah, well...this time I mean it. I just want us to get back to normal. To how our lives were before the move."

"Okay, but just...don't forget about me," Octavio said, his hazel eyes casting down to the floor in a way that broke the trickster's heart.

"I could never forget about you," he replied softly. "You're my whole world. But...We should probably also pay a visit to mom soon before she thinks I've forgotten about her."

He paused when his boyfriend looked up at him, his eyes tinged with sadness.

"S-sorry."

Octavio shook his head.

"You don't have to stop talking about your mom because of what happened. I like your mom. I want to see her."

"Hey, look at me," Elliott said quietly, cupping his partner's face in his hands, his words earnest. "You're part of this family too. We have our own little family, with me and you and Mica. But my mom, and everything else I have, is yours too. You hear me?"

Octavio shrugged and looked away.

"You don't have to say that just because of what's happened."

"I'm not just saying it," Elliott told him, turning his face back towards him. "I mean it. And if I have to spend every day trying to prove it to you then...I will."

He took the runner's hand in his own, lightly brushing his finger over the silver promise ring that always sat so proudly on his middle finger.

"I didn't give you this for nothing. I did it because I want to be with you, no matter what."

The runner nodded, in response.

"And do the forever thing."

"Exactly," Elliott replied, offering him a warm smile before pecking him twice on the lips.

"Mira, there's... actually something I want to talk to you about."

The trickster rubbed his lover's arms in a supportive fashion, before stepping back to lean against the breakfast bar, upon noticing the speedster's serious tone. He looked him over, obviously concerned but nodded, prompting the younger legend to speak. Octavio turned himself around in his stool, allowing him to rest his elbows on the counter, while he twiddled his thumbs, trying to find the right words. He already knew his boyfriend wasn't going to be happy with what he had to say, and he hadn't even opened his mouth yet.

"They asked me to do a live show in the arena," he explained, keeping his eyes fixed on his hands. "As like a "welcome back" celebration thing but...I guess it's probably also to try take the attention away from everything that went down with Skull Town."

Elliott nodded slowly. What happened to Skull Town was a sore subject around here, and the destruction had gotten people talking about the mysterious woman who seemed to appear out of nowhere, destroyed a portion of the arena and was now welcomed onto the roster, with seemingly no questions asked. If he'd learned anything from his time as a Legend, it was knowing the organisers didn't like when people talked too much. He had mostly tried to keep his mouth shut about the situation, despite his heart aching at the thought of never seeing Thunderdome again, recalling the memories of the times he'd visited it with his brothers as a kid. But what shocked him more, was seeing the iconic location fall to the depths, and his boyfriend standing in the middle of the chaos, while he was stuck in respawn unable to do anything about it. Thankfully, no one was hurt or lost and they were reunited soon after.

"What kind of live show?" he asked cautiously, though he was fairly certain he already knew the answer.

"A stunt show."

"Oh."

"I said I'd do it. Even though they didn't really give me much of a choice."

Octavio finally forced himself to look up at his partner, who was standing with his arms folded over his chest, and looking around the room as if he was trying to look anywhere, but at him.

"Say something."

The trickster merely shrugged, his gaze falling to his feet.

"I thought you said you were gonna...cool it with th-the crazy stuff."

"It's not like I could have said no, amor. You know what they're like."

"Well, it doesn't sound like you tried to say no, to me."

Octavio sighed, rubbing a frustrated hand along his face.

"Elliott…".

"It's fine," the trickster replied, holding his hands up, as he began to walk away, towards the living room. "It's a big deal. Congratulations."

"Yeah, it is a big deal!" Octavio called after him, hopping down from his seat, the sound of his voice making his boyfriend stop in his tracks. "Maybe doing these types of shows is my dream! But I guess you were lying when you said you'd support them, because that's all everyone in my life does! Lie!"

Elliott didn't say much for the rest of the day, busying himself with fixing his holo-gear. Octavio wondered how careless his partner could possibly be with his beloved game gear, that it always conveniently needed to be fixed whenever he didn't want to talk. He knew deep down it was just so he could have something to look at that wasn't him, but he didn't like to think about it too much; the thought made him sad. Though, he did make them dinner, which they ate in relative silence, until the trickster eventually spoke up and made an attempt at conversation, suggesting maybe they could catch a movie at the weekend since they hadn't done that in a while. Octavio shrugged, and poked at his stir-fry without answering, causing his partner to sigh and scrape the rest of the food off his plate in record time. It wasn't until later that night, when Octavio was sat on the couch playing video games, did Elliott approach him again, kissing him on the cheek before sitting down next to him. He rested his head on his shoulder, and looped his arm through the runner's and simply watched him play for a while, making the odd comment or question about the game. Octavio asked him if he wanted to play for a bit, and they laughed at how bad he was while he fumbled about with the controls. He thought everything had gone back to normal, until they went to bed that night.

"Elliott?"

"Hmm?"

Octavio rolled onto his side to face him, though he could barely see in the dark.

"You'll come to my show, right? I really want you to come."

He reached for the trickster's hand under the blankets, but it was promptly pulled away, as Elliott began to rub at his own cheek.

"What's wrong, amor? I don't understand why you won't support me. I want to be excited, but if you're mad at me-."

"I'm not mad," Elliott said, his voice quiet. "I just...I don't think I can trust you."

Octavio blinked a few times, trying to force his eyes to adjust to the darkness as much as possible.

"What...is that supposed to mean?"

"I know what it's like to have a crowd behind you. What _you're_ like when you have a crowd behind you, hyping you up," the trickster began, fidgeting with the edge of the blanket. "You'll push yourself too far to please them and...you think you're invincible when you're not. You haven't done one of these shows in forever and I...don't trust you to be careful. I don't want anything to happen to you and I'm scared it will. So, sorry for not playing the supportive boyfriend role right now but I'm kinda stuck in the, boyfriend who's worried his boyfriend is gonna do something stupid and get himself hurt or...killed mindset."

"That's not fair," Octavio replied firmly. "I've barely done anything crazy since we started getting serious because _you_ asked me to stop. Most of my social media posts are just life stuff now and I keep all my stunts in the games, and they're not even...stunts."

"Yeah, and now you're going to do a whole stunt show when you're out of practice!"

"I know what I'm doing!" the runner said. "Stop telling me I can't do things! I don't need you to baby me!"

"I'm not trying to baby you!" Elliott responded, sitting up. "I'm...trying not to lose the love of my life here!"

"I'm not going to do anything that dangerous!" Octavio argued back. "Do you think I _want_ to get hurt?!"

"How many times have you said the same thing to Ajay before we met, and fucked up?! Face it, Tav. You're a sucker for a crowd, and that's what I'm scared of."

"That was...different."

"How?"

The speedster looked down at the mattress beneath him, despite barely even being able to see it.

"Because," he began with a heavy sigh. "Back then I didn't have anything to live for, so I didn't care what happened. Now, I do. So just...stop."

"Tav...".

"Stop," he repeated, his voice barely a whisper, allowing his face to be cupped by a shadowy, but warm hand. "You don't have to be scared, amor. Not anymore. I'm not scared."

A few days passed, and they didn't talk much about it again. Octavio would admit he was disappointed. He just wanted his boyfriend to come and support his show. That wasn't too much to ask, was it? It's not like he has anyone else. He hadn't heard anything from his family since he'd left Psamathe, but that didn't mean they weren't playing on his mind. He was sat on his and Elliott's bed, with his legs detached, looking at his laptop screen, with the intention of beginning a new round of stretches and exercises his doctor had sent him. His pain was mostly non-existent now, save for the occasional muscle strain after an intense game. For now, the goal was to keep himself untensed and strong, to try and avoid the aches coming back again. He sighed and switched to another tab, staring at the email he'd been working on all morning, absentmindedly tapping on the keyboard, but not with enough pressure to actually type anything.

_Emelia, _

_I'm sorry for walking out like I did. I think it was cool of you to come and see me and tell me what you could. I was angry, but I'm not anymore. Not really. Not at you. But I don't think we should talk anymore, so we can keep our families safe. I just want to move on with my life and my partner, like you did. _

_I hope we can both have happier lives now._

_Octavio. _

He leaned back against the pillows, exhaling a stream of warm air through his nostrils, before closing his eyes and hitting the send button. His fingers curled around the ragged ear of the toy rabbit in his lap; a calming exercise from when he was child. It probably explained why the rabbit's ear was slightly tearing away from its head, but he didn't mind. He probably could have fixed it, but he never did. A quiet tapping on the bedroom door caught his attention, and he looked up just in time to see it open and his boyfriend's head peek inside, flinging the soft toy under the bed before the trickster entered.

"Hey."

"Hey," Octavio replied, patting the empty spot on the bed beside him, inviting his partner to join him. "How did it go?"

"It went fine," the trickster told him, with a small nod. "I kinda explained how I always found the face to face thing...hard. So, she said we could do appointments over the phone for a while."

"That's awesome! See? I told you, you'd kick therapy's ass!"

Elliott laughed quietly, a soft smile forming on his lips.

"Thanks for giving me a little privacy to make the call. I know you don't like being cooped up in here."

"That's okay," the runner shrugged. "I'm just trying to support you. This is a big deal, and I don't want to make it any harder than it needs to be."

Elliott took his hand and gave it a firm squeeze. He never quite understood what he did to deserve Octavio's unwavering devotion and support through all the difficulties he had to face. Octavio had stayed by his side through times, where he was certain his previous partners wouldn't have, and made him feel...normal. Part of him wonders if he ever would have got through them at all, without his partner's humor and strength, and although Octavio had his fair share of issues he also had worked through, Elliott felt like he hadn't supported him enough. After taking the last couple of days to think it over, he'd decided perhaps it was time to change that.

"Hey," he said, leaning back slightly so his boyfriend could get a good look at him. "What do you think of my t-shirt?"

Octavio's eyes trailed along his torso, with a smirk.

"That is my merch, amor. It'd be pretty shitty if I didn't like it."

"Do you think I should wear it to your show? Or would that be...too much?"

The speedster's eyes sparkled at the question, his heart picking up in rhythm.

"You want to come to my show?"

"Yeah, I do," Elliott told him, receiving an excited "whoop" in response. "I've...been a real ass to you, Tav. You've stuck by me through everything. Renovating the bar, all the...depression stuff, my mom getting sick…everything."

"Yeah, of course. We're supposed to have each other's backs."

"Exactly. So...yeah. I want to...I _should_ be supporting your dreams. But also just I want to. Because I love you."

"This is the coolest thing ever!" Octavio exclaimed, crushing his partner in a tight hug. "I wanted you to come so bad! Oh, this is gonna be awesome! I'll blow you kisses from the air and-".

"Whoa, baby, slow down," the trickster chuckled, placing his hands on the younger legend's arms so he could push him away slightly, making him look at him. "I know you're excited but remember you have to be careful, alright? Listen to everything they tell you and...try and do everything as safe as you can."

"Sí, absolutamente!"

"Promise?"

"I promise!"

"Okay, good," Elliott hummed, pulling his partner into another hug. "You're gonna be amazing."

* * *

"Wow, she's so...tiny."

Octavio's gaze drifted towards the laughing couple on the other side of the coffee table, and back to his partner who was holding what looked like a bundle of blankets. It could have been easily mistaken as such, if he didn't already know there was a baby inside. Elliott had suggested they pay a visit to his friend John and his wife Lynne, who had just moved house and gave birth to their first child, while they were away. They brought the nicest bottle of wine the trickster could find as a housewarming gift and had stopped by a store to pick out something for the baby.

"This isn't as fun as buying stuff for a hamster," Octavio noted, while his boyfriend had cooed over the tiny outfits and blankets on offer. Maybe they were kind of cute, and the runner found himself wondering how anyone's feet could ever be so small that they could fit into the smallest pair of shoes he'd ever seen. They picked out a variety of things, realising that both of them were fairly clueless when it came to what a child could make good use of. Despite this, Elliott appeared to be an expert at holding babies, gently bouncing the bundle in his arms while the group chatted and laughed, telling a collection of stories that had happened during their time apart.

"How have you two been doing anyways?" the trickster eventually asked. "A kid...a move...couldn't have been easy."

"In comparison to what _you've_ been up to?" John chuckled, slinging an arm over his wife's shoulders. "I'd say the whole thing has been a piece of cake."

"I always forget how...small they are," Elliott hummed, adjusting the weight in his arms.

"You should've seen her when she was first born," Lynne chimed in, with a soft smile. "I was always so afraid I'd accidentally hurt her, changing her diaper or bathing her."

"Nah, she's tough as nails, like her old man," her husband spoke proudly.

Octavio peered at the baby closer. It didn't look very tough.

"You want to hold her, Tav?" he asked, noticing the younger man looking. "Witt's hogging all the cuteness."

"Oh, erm," Octavio stammered, sitting back in his seat. "I don't really know anything about babies, compadre. I think I'll pass."

"Oh, come on," his boyfriend encouraged. "It's not that hard. You'll do great."

The runner allowed the bundle to be placed into his arms, which he fumbled with at first, until Elliott adjusted his position to something more suitable, before leaving him with the child.

"See? Just make sure you support the head. You got it."

Octavio looked down at the tiny face that was looking back at his, suddenly feeling a little awkward now that everyone's eyes were on him.

"Uhh...hi. I'm Octavio."

The baby gurgled back, somehow managing to blow a bubble in the process. Impressive.

"Um...are they supposed to do that? I think I broke it."

"You're doing fine," his boyfriend told him, scooting closer to his partner for a better look.

He tickled the baby's tummy lightly with his fingers, making her gurgle more while kicking her legs under the blanket.

"He's doing great. Ain't that right, sweetheart?"

"You're a natural," Lynne hummed, taking a sip of her coffee, watching over them. "I think she likes you."

Octavio laughed at the comment, feeling a little more comfortable now. He liked kids usually. He had a lot of younger fans, but none of them were this tiny.

"You are a natural," Elliott repeated softly. "I knew you would be."

"Careful, Tav," John piped up, with a laugh. "I think someone might be getting a little broody."

* * *

"I love this spot," Elliott said, as he plopped himself down on the bench with a contented sigh.

Octavio soon followed, listening to the trickling of the small stream across the path.

"I know. It's your favourite."

"The perfect place to have lunch, right?"

The trickster passed him one of the sandwiches they'd picked up after leaving John and Lynne's place, deciding to have a quick lunch together before Octavio's rehearsal later that day. Octavio tore the paper wrapping away from his sandwich and immediately tucked in, merrily swinging his legs back and forth while he ate.

"It's, uh...kinda weird actually," Elliott eventually spoke up, wiping the corner of his mouth with his thumb. "Last time I saw them, they were just beginning to tell people they had a baby on the way. Now their lives are completely different. It's weird but like...in a good way."

The speedster nodded, taking in his partner's words.

"You really liked that baby, huh?"

Elliott chuckled warmly, and took another bite for his food.

"She's adorable. I'm happy for them. Starting a family must be so exciting. Y'know...once I kinda thought those "happy endings" were overrated. But they seem to be doing really well."

"I don't know, cariño," Octavio said with a playful shrug. "I heard some people from Psamathe can give you some pretty good ones."

They continued eating in a comfortable silence, save for the gentle rustling of the trees around them, stirred by the light summery breeze in the air. Octavio took a large gulp from his water bottle, tapping his fingers on the side, while he sifted through his thoughts.

"Have you...thought about all that stuff?" he asked, fidgeting with the label on the bottle he held.

"What stuff?"

"Marriage...kids...all that...stuff."

Elliott swallowed harshly and coughed, almost choking on his mouthful of food. Octavio passed him the water, so he could take a drink, eyeing his partner with some concern.

"Sorry."

"N-no, don't be sorry!" the trickster stammered. "I just...guess my eyes were bigger than my stomach there."

He laughed, but there was some sense of awkwardness to it.

"Why, uh...are you bringing it up? Has someone...said something? Or...uh...I don't know."

"No?" the runner replied, shaking his head. "What does this have to do with anyone else? I'm just...we were talking about babies and...Never mind."

"Of course I've thought about it," Elliott said, turning to face his boyfriend a little more directly. "I mean...we've talked about wanting a family and everything. Unless...you've changed your mind."

"No," Octavio shrugged. "It's just...you always hear about people with the plans. Like "I wanna be married by forty," and you're always joking that you're not getting any younger."

"Gee, thanks babe."

"Everything I'm trying to say is coming out all wrong," Octavio sighed, crumpling his sandwich paper into a tight ball. "Forget it."

The trickster thought it over for a few moments, before opening his mouth to speak.

"I guess...when I was younger, I thought I'd be married with kids by thirty but…," he paused, shrugging. "I never thought I'd make it into the games and it's not like...I feel like I'm missing out on anything. What's meant to be, will be and all that crap."

He reached out and patted his lover's arm, leaving it to rest there, providing a comforting weight.

"I don't have a plan because I'm happy with you and that's all that matters to me. I don't want you to feel under pressure to start a family or anything. I'm happy for us to just...exist. And when we feel the time is right then...I'd love to spend the rest of my life with you. Married or not."

Octavio grinned up at his partner, unable to suppress the joy he felt at his words. It was funny for him to think about stability and how he had reached a point in his life where he would welcome a little bit of it. It was always hard for him to depend on people growing up, because of how often they would come into his life only to leave again. But he trusted Elliott with all his being, because he never felt like he had to doubt him or his intentions. He leaned forward to close the gap between them, but before their lips could meet, the runner's pocket chimed. He pulled his phone out with a grumble, and sighed.

"I have to go."

"Oh," the trickster replied, sounding somewhat deflated. "I thought your rehearsal wasn't until later."

"They're moving it forward," Octavio told him, standing up and placing a quick kiss on his partner's cheek. "Something about someone who thinks they're important not being able to make it later. Wait up for me?"

* * *

Octavio hadn't had this much fun in a long time. Getting to run around his Gauntlet during a game was one of the best rushes he could ask for; using the jump pads to his advantage and trying to shoot people while diving through the fire hoop in the middle was always a good experience. He'd missed it, while they were competing at World's Edge, and was suddenly very grateful his Gauntlet hadn't been destroyed along with Thunderdome and Skull Town. However, being able to utilize the area to show off what he could do was somehow even better. Especially, when someone had mentioned getting a dirt bike for the occasion for him to ride over the ramps and ring of fire. The crowd would love that. He was taking a water break, when one of the organisers approached him.

"We were thinking we should do something really impressive for the finale. Something that will really get the crowd on our side."

Octavio adjusted his goggles with a smug smirk.

"The crowd is _always_ on my side, amigo."

"Of course. That's why you're our star."

They gestured for him to follow them down onto the sand and motioned towards the highest point of the area, where the champion banners would usually be displayed.

"We were thinking of a free fall from up there. No jumpkit. Just you and...whatever tricks you can pull before you hit the ground."

The speedster craned his neck, inspecting the area.

"If I jumped from there, I'd go "splat" as soon as I hit the ground, compadre," he pointed out. "That's just basic mathematics. I thought you were meant to be the smart people around here."

"We did think of that," they said, showing him towards one of the ramps. "You'd land here. We've altered the flooring for you to have a soft landing, but it won't appear that way to the people watching. It'll be very impressive. Once you land on your feet, of course."

"You could at least give me a real challenge," he scoffed, before making his way towards the incredibly tall ladder they'd set up.

He took a couple of moments to stretch his legs and survey his surroundings, trying to decide what tricks might be best to attempt on the way down, judging by the distance of the fall. He hopped from one foot to the other, muttering words of encouragement in Spanish, to psych himself up as he peered over the edge. Finally, he took a deep breath...and jumped.

* * *

His head felt weird, like it was filled with a dark fog that he had to stumble through, but he couldn't walk. Instead, he was...drifting? All of a sudden his vision was flooded with light, and he had to gasp for air as if he'd been held under water for too long. He looked around, feeling the warm grass under his legs and the sun on his skin. Octavio recognised this place. It was the back garden from his childhood home before they'd moved to the city. It was the last time he remembers his family being somewhat happy. He looked down, finding his vision slightly blurred. Where those...his legs? Why were they so small? He turned his head to see a much younger looking version of his father sitting close to him on the grass, a thick book in his hand. A cool breeze kissed his face, as a large amber butterfly drifted into his line of sight. Before he could stop himself, he was pointing at it, a voice that he barely recognised anymore escaping his lips.

"Papá! Mira la mariposa!"

His father glanced up from what he was reading to look.

"Inglés?"

He could feel himself furrow his eyebrows in thought.

"Umm...Butterfly!"

He giggled when his hair was ruffled, by a large hand.

"Such a clever boy. You have a bright future ahead of you, mijo."

His vision went dark again and he felt like he was falling, until he felt a sharp bite of cold hit his stomach. He adjusted his t-shirt with one had to cover his skin before lying back down on the hardwood floor. His legs swayed back and forth involuntarily, while he scribbled on a page in front of him; the mixture of colours making little sense. He jumped up suddenly, scooping the piece of paper up before wandering over to the desk where his mother sat, tapping on her computer keyboard.

"Mamá, I'm finished!" he said, proudly holding up the drawing.

She wrinkled her nose when she looked down at him.

"What is it?"

"It's you!"

Her eyes turned back to screen with a short hum of acknowledgement.

"I want more paper!"

His hands reached up to grab at the stack on her desk, sending a collection of files tumbling to the floor. His mother's head whipped around, giving him an icy glare that made him physically shiver.

"Octavio!"

"I...lo siento, Mamá."

"Get out. I'm too busy to deal with you."

"Sorr-."

"Out!"

Her scream rang in his ears, and he felt a wetness begin to pool in the corners of his eyes, as he ran out into the darkness of the hall.

It was still so dark. His back pushed back against something firm and cold, while someone hammered their fist on the other side. It almost drowned out by the sound of loud rock music. He loved this song.

"Octavio! Open this door right now! Your tutors are here and you're already over an hour late!"

"I don't care!"

The music seemed to get louder.

"This is your last warning! Unlock the door now or I'm calling your father!"

"So, call him!" he yelled back. "You think he's gonna care?! He's on the other side of the planet you dumb fuck! This is my house and I can do whatever I want!"

"Open. The. Door."

"Fuck off!"

He stood up and kicked the wood so hard, it left a mark. He could hear the dragging of something heavy outside, as it squeaked along the floorboards before it was forced up against the door.

"What are you doing?!"

"You want to stay in there, Tavi? Fine! You're grounded!"

"You can't ground me! I own this shit hole!"

He didn't get an answer after that, so he yelled out, aggressively kicking one of the posts on his bed multiple times, leaving a series of scuff marks behind. He eventually tired himself out, and flopped onto the bed, burying his face into the darkness of his toy rabbit. He could feel a wetness beginning to form in his eyes, but he inhaled deeply, forcing it back. He wouldn't dare let it spill over because of them.

The darkness stayed with him, and the wet feeling had moved from his eyes to settle somewhere below his waistband. He didn't know where he was and he couldn't open his eyes; feeling completely out of it. He could hear a muffled voice talking to him but he couldn't quite register who it was.

"Oi, Silva what's with ya? Look at the state ya got yourself in!"

He let out a groan as he was rolled onto his side.

"Why'd ya always do this, eh? Why'd ya bother come visit me at all, if you're gonna do this? What did ya take this time? Ya hear me?"

Even though he's barely conscious, he's pretty sure he pissed his pants at some point.

His shirt was being tugged roughly over his head now, and it smelled.

"Some day I won't clean up after ya no more. Pull yourself together or ya won't get no more sympathy from me. Got it?"

"What do you mean we can't be on the same squad, amiga? Come on, it'll be like old times!"

He knew where he was this time. He remembers the buzz of stepping into the drop ship for the first time, as a Legend; having climbed his way to the big leagues in record time.

"Squads are random," Ajay shot back, glowering at him. "Go home, Silva. Ya don't belong here. This ain't some kiddies play park. Ya gonna get yourself killed."

He doesn't remember seeing her point at the time, and he folded his arms trying to think of some witty comeback, until he was tapped in the shoulder.

"Maybe you should start considering yourself lucky, 'cause you're on my squad this round."

He turned to see Mirage grinning confidently at him and he shrugged. It didn't really matter who he was paired with. All of his squadmates in the lower leagues had only held him back, and when he did happen to go down he'd always managed to have scored a self-revive kit and was back in the game like nothing ever happened. He didn't need teammates. Until he did. They'd dropped at Runoff and he'd picked up a Wingman and an Alternator, but in his hurry to prove Ajay wrong, he'd forgotten the ammo, used the few bullets he had on someone, and found himself kneeling behind a crate with two new enemies quickly approaching.

"Uhh...help please?" he called into his communicator, through gritted teeth.

He'd be damned if he was going to be first blood in his first real match, even if that meant asking for assistance. Before he could even think about popping a stim to get out of there, Mirage came barreling out of the building behind him, making quick work of his pursuers with a Havoc.

"Don't worry, buddy. I love when the spotlight's on me!"

He began to stand up, deciding he should at least offer his rescuer a "thank you," but he was promptly pushed back onto his knees, after being shot in the back by the other squad's last remaining member. Mirage managed to trick them with a decoy, and finished them off too before returning to him. He wasn't sure if it was the meds or the adrenaline in his veins talking, as Mirage jammed a syringe into his chest, but...he was kinda hot. Really hot even. Hotter than he looked on TV.

"I gotcha," the trickster said quietly, as he pulled him onto his feet and tossed him a medkit with a wink. "Don't worry new guy, we all fumble through our first, real game. I think."

He was drifting again, but it felt more peaceful this time, feeling a familiar warmth on his neck when light flooded his eyes. He was in his and Elliott's kitchen now, sitting on the counter with the trickster's face buried in the crook of his neck. He couldn't stop himself from laughing quietly; Elliott always seemed to find the spots to nuzzle that would tickle him the most.

"I like when you stay over," his partner eventually said, when he pulled away only slightly. "You know you can stay over as often as you like. Whenever you want."

"I like staying over too. It's fun."

"Cool."

Elliott gave him a shy smile, meeting his eyes before looking away again.

"I, um...I don't know if now is erm...a weird time to bring this up but...Have you m-maybe thought about...I don't know. Where this is...going?"

"I don't understand what you mean?"

The trickster scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"It's just that...well, we've been seeing each other for a while now and...I know I don't wanna see anyone else and...you've also said that so...Yeah. Maybe it would be kinda cool to make things more...official? If that's okay with you."

He looked up at the other man, considering his words.

"You're...asking me to be...like...your boyfriend?"

"We don't have to put a label on it!" Elliott exclaimed, seemingly embarrassed. "I mean...I would totally be into that but, if y'know...you're not then that's okay. I'd just...think it'd be pretty sweet if I could start telling people, "hey I really like this guy and we're kinda together and…," yeah."

"You seriously want people to know you're seeing me?"

The trickster gave him a smile filled with so much warmth, he was sure that was the exact moment he felt his heart melt.

"Why wouldn't I? Look at you. You're...incredible."

"I think that sounds awesome," he replied, his own smile spreading to his face. "I...yeah. I think...I'd really like that! So...we're...boyfriends now?"

Elliott took both of his hands, intertwining their fingers, while they both giggled like school children.

"I guess we are."

He didn't want to leave again, but he couldn't resist the feeling to drift again, not knowing where he was going. He wasn't sure where he was this time, having arrived on a porch of a house he'd never seen before, but he didn't feel uneasy. The chirping of the birds in the distance and the rustling of the trees in the light evening breeze, created a sense of tranquil calm. He approached the edge of the deck, where he could hear some quiet humming, which seemed to be coming from a figure sitting with their back to him.

"Hello?"

"Hey. You're home."

He squinted, confused.

"Elliott? Is that you?"

He received a warm laugh in response.

"Of course, it is. Who else would it be? Come here. We missed you."

He took some tentative steps forward, pausing when he spotted the bundle of blankets his partner was gently rocking back and forth, as he continued to hum softly.

"Look, honey. Your Papá's home."

He timidly perched himself on the arm of the chair, though as soon as the trickster rested his hand lovingly on his thigh, and leaned against him, all that apprehension seemed to fade away; leaving him feeling like he belonged here.

"I love you, Tav."

"I love you too."

Elliott looked up at him, his brown eyes filled with the deepest sincerity.

"You're gonna be okay."

"Huh?"

"You're gonna be okay."

* * *

"I love you, Tav."

Octavio groaned slightly, his vision being flooded a light that was nowhere near as cosy and warm as the one before.

"Tav? Can you hear me?"

His lashes fluttered open, his eyes desperately trying to adjust to whatever was happening around him. He turned his head, despite the stiffness in his neck, to see his boyfriend sitting on the edge of his bed, looking at him with an expression that lay somewhere between concern and relief.

"Ell…".

"I'll get you some water."

The runner parted his lips slightly when a straw was offered to him, allowing him to take a sip of water which helped to quell the dryness in his throat.

"What's going on?"

"You're in the med-bay," Elliott explained, receiving a displeased groan in response.

"What did they give me?" Octavio asked, placing a hand against his forehead. "I was having...some pretty loco dreams."

The trickster laughed quietly, patting his thigh through the sheets.

"I don't know, babe. I only got here a little while ago. I went to the bar after you left, and I didn't hear what happened until later, or I would've been here sooner."

"What _did_ happen?"

"They said you fell from a height and got knocked out."

Octavio thought back to the final stunt and how he'd been told it would go off without a hitch.

"They told me, they altered the landing spot so I could have a soft landing," he recounted, noticing the frown that appeared on his lover's face. "I guess...they didn't."

He shuffled himself around on the mattress, trying to inspect his limbs.

"Did I break anything?"

"Besides my heart?" Elliott replied, with a small chuckle, but it didn't sound very amused. "No."

"Great! Then I can get out of here, and back to rehearsals!" Octavio piped up, sitting up a little too quickly, making himself feel dizzy.

The trickster bit down on his lip, before assisting his partner with settling himself back against the pillows.

"I...Tell them you're not doing that stunt anymore."

"What?!" Octavio gasped, attempting to sit up again, only to be gently pushed back. "But...but why?! I have to! My fans-."

"What about me?!" Elliott snapped back. "What about yourself? They don't care about you, Tav. Why else would they lie about the floor? All they care about is how many tickets they're gonna sell or...the news stories they'd get if something bad were to happen…".

"It was probably an oversight!" Octavio responded. "I probably just landed on the wrong spot! Come on, they wouldn't risk losing me. I'm...I'm one of the best! They wouldn't."

"I don't want to risk losing you!" the trickster said, squeezing his boyfriend's hand tightly. "I'm not asking you to quit the show altogether just...just that one stunt. Please, babe. Do it for me. For us."

Octavio thought it over, squeezing the trickster's hand in return. Maybe Elliott was right, and he had promised him he'd be careful. He wasn't exactly sure what those dreams were about, but he couldn't escape the feeling that they were trying to tell him something.

"Okay," he nodded. "I'll tell them I won't do it."

Octavio was told to take a few days to rest after the incident. Normally, he'd complain about such a thing, but having Elliott dote on him the whole time made it more bearable. The organisers were unhappy, to say the least, when he returned to rehearsals and told them he was pulling out of the final stunt. They tried to reel him back in, offering him more money or bigger opportunities down the line, adding careful strokes to his ego but he managed to turn it all down; Ajay had warned him they'd probably pull something like this and to be prepared. They gave up eventually, saying he could use the dirtbikes to do something flashy with instead, and rehearsals went pretty smoothly for the rest of the week. All of this had led him up to the current moment: standing in the wings of the Gauntlet with a crowd chanting his name, while Elliott fussed with the zipper of his biker jacket that had gotten stuck.

"It's fine, amor. Come on! I was expected out there five minutes ago!"

"You can't go out there looking like a mess!" the trickster replied, giving the zip a final harsh tug. "There. It might be a little hard to get it off later but...we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"I sure hope not," Octavio said coyly, lowering his voice while he trailed his fingers along his partner's arm. "We're gonna have to _celebrate_ later."

Elliott smirked at him, and slid a hand onto his hip before replying.

"Well, there is that party after this and I also heard something about a fireworks display at the front of the compound, later tonight."

"That's not what I meant and you know it," the runner laughed, receiving a playful squeeze to his backside in return. "But I guess I'll have to _explain_ it to you more, later. I should get out there though."

Elliott wrapped him a tight hug, peppering his cheek with kisses.

"You're gonna be amazing. Good luck."

"Thanks, but I don't need it," the speedster quipped, shooting him a toothy grin before slipping his helmet on and heading outside.

Elliott returned the smile, until his boyfriend was gone, and he returned to the rest of the Legends in attendance, combing a nervous hand through his hair.

"Fuck...I don't know if I can watch this thing."

"Here," Anita said, reaching inside her jacket to pull out a small flask. "Makes these things a little more bearable."

He graciously took it and quickly unscrewed the cap, taking a long gulp until it was snatched back, making him dribble down his chin.

"Save some for me, Witt."

The trickster folded his arms over his chest and tapped his foot impatiently on the floor, beginning to wish he'd brought his own. Lord knows, he was going to need it.

However, it didn't take long for him to get into the swing of things. He'd joined the other Legends in the private viewing area they were given, and if one thing was for sure: Octane knew how to work a crowd. He'd barely even begun the show, and they were eating out of his hand. He hyped the crowd at all the right moments, performed his routine with an expert-like precision and posed for applause on cue, relishing in every gasp and cheer. But what made the experience that much sweeter, was when Octavio's eyes casted over the crowd to spot Elliott joining in with the cheering. He'd really put in a lot of effort to show his support, having dressed up in full Octane merchandise, and it meant the world to the runner. The trickster blew him a kiss when he caught him looking, and in that moment Octavio's heart swelled with a feeling he's not sure he's ever really felt before; the feeling that someone was actually proud of him. He waved towards him, before hopping on his bike and taking off at full speed, barrelling around the track, much to the delight of his spectators. He took the ramp, and jumped with the bike through the flaming hoop in the middle, like a thread through a needle, only to abandon it mid air. He soared while the crowd cheered and landed on his feet on the other side, and after finishing his final stunt, he jumped into his signature pose, which sent his fans into a frenzy; screaming excitedly and chanting his name. He turned in a slow circle, taking it all in. He felt on top of the world...until one of the organisers stepped forward with a microphone in hand.

"Wasn't that just marvelous?" they called out to the crowd, receiving a wave of cheers in response. "But the fun isn't over yet!"

Octavio suddenly felt very lucky he was wearing a helmet, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to disguise the look of pure confusion on his face. What were they talking about? The show was over. This is how the last few rehearsals had ended. His stomach dropped when they began speaking again; their voice floating out over the attendees like a lure to a school of fish.

"Here, at the Apex Games, you know we go above and beyond to ensure our viewers are receiving the highest quality of entertainment! Today is no exception! Octane has one final stunt lined up for you all, and this one is incredibly exciting."

There was some mummering among the crowd, while Octavio's eyes drifted towards the Legend's viewing area, to see Elliott and Ajay in, what looked to be, a frantic conversation. The medic pointed to something behind him, and his heart began to pound in his chest when he spotted a group of maintenance people setting the ladder up to the highest platform again. Oh, hell no. They couldn't force him to fall to his almost death again. Could they? His brain worked quickly, and he found himself standing at the side of the stage, holding his hands up to the crowd.

"Amigos! There's some mistake here! Show's over. We were supposed to be doing a Q&A or something, right?!"

But the crowd either didn't hear him or chose to ignore him, until they spotted him shaking his head at them. It only took one person to begin chanting, for everyone else to join in and their words were ringing in the runner's ears and throughout the arena.

"Do the stunt! Do the stunt!"

He looked back towards his partner who was looking pretty panicked at this point, and in that moment, Octavio knew what he needed to do. It only took him a couple of seconds to dash towards the individual who'd started this mess, and was yanking the microphone out of their hands.

"Get off me, you maniac!"

The speedster cackled cheekily at them, and practically skipped to the other side of the stage, before addressing the crowd.

"Mi amigos! I'll be honest. Maybe this show was supposed to end with a different stunt, but during rehearsals my dumbass ended up in hospital!"

There was some whispering and quiet chuckles from the audience, which encouraged him to keep going.

"So, yeah. It sucks but I had to change the show a little. Some things are more important, right?"

Elliott felt his heart flutter when the speedster looked in his direction.

"But you know me, compadres. I would never leave my fans hanging. Which is why, I've organised a very special signing with some of your favourite Legends to end the show with!"

"What the hell is he talking about?" Ajay asked. "He didn't mention no autographs to me. We'll be mobbed down there."

The trickster merely shrugged in response. He was willing to do pretty much anything at this point, if it meant his boyfriend would stay safe.

"And I know you might be thinking, "but Octane some of us already got your autographs after the games"," Octavio continued, pacing around before gesturing towards his group of friends in the distance. "But that's why today is so special! Because I have everyone's favourite Legend, and pretty much my bestest friend, Bangalore in the building! She can never make it to the after game signings, but she can't wait to sign everything you own; today only!"

"He has to be fucking kidding me," Anita muttered, folding her arms.

"I...don't think he is," Elliott responded, with a nervous chuckle, watching the runner hype up the crowd until they were chanting the name of their favourite Legend. "But hey...sounds like you got some fans out there."

The soldier made a disgusted noise, but he noticed the slight smirk on her lips, before she reached for her flask again and took another swig.

"Whatever. Let's get this shitshow over with."

Octavio beamed at his friends, as they made their way towards the crowd, who was now desperately trying to catch the attention of their favourite competitor. Elliott was immediately swarmed, causing Anita to shake her head at the speedster, who was already in the midst of his own little meet and greet.

"Hey, just drop me a DM and I'll hook you up with some sweet merch, okay?"

The soldier looked towards the young fan, who was almost in tears for merely being in Octane's presence, and she rolled her eyes before tapping him on the shoulder.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" she scolded, gesturing towards the mob behind her. "Elliott's in there...somewhere."

"Oh, he'll be fine," Octavio said, flashing her a toothy grin. "He can take a pounding. Trust me, I'd know."

Anita shook her head again, which only caused the younger legend to break into a fit of giggles, until he heard someone yell a very prominent, "Marry me Mirage!" nearby.

"Who the fuck said that?!" he scowled, craning his neck to try and peer over the sea of heads around them.

"Want me to pop you on my shoulders so you can see?" Anita quipped, sounding somewhat victorious.

Octavio folded his arms, as he looked up at her, not liking the expression on her face one bit.

"_Fine_. Maybe this was a bad idea. Mierda, let's get him out of there."

It wasn't as easy as he'd hoped to push through the swarm of people surrounding Elliott, each as eager as each other to catch a glimpse at the Legend. He eventually managed to get close enough to grab the trickster's arm, having stepped on a couple of people's toes in the process.

"Alright, show's over compadres. We're out of here."

He slipped his fingers through Elliott's with the intention of dragging him back through the crowd, the way he'd come in, much to the displeasure of his fans.

"Hey, what the hell?! We've been waiting all this time!"

"Everyone, it was really great seeing you all today, but you know how it is," Elliott spoke up, hoping to de-escalate the situation. "We're really busy and really need to get going. Thanks for coming out."

They'd only managed to shuffle away a few inches when Octavio felt a tug on his hand, realising his partner had been stopped by someone again. He turned to see a man he'd never before, exchanging words with him.

"Come on. Vamos, we gotta go."

"Hey, shut the fuck up asshole! We didn't stand out in the sun all day for nothing."

Oh, Hell no.

"You wanna repeat that, amigo?"

A hush fell over the crowd, when he shoved his way back towards the source of the yell.

"Tav, just drop it, okay?" the trickster muttered. "Let's go."

"Yeah, that's right. Back off, short ass. I don't give a damn if you're a Legend or not. I'll kick you to the dirt before you even know where you are."

Was this dude for real?

The crowd erupted into a chorus of gasps and cheers when Octavio rushed towards him, shoving his now opponent in the chest, making him stumble back a few feet.

"You wanna go, compadre? Huh? You sure about that? Don't you know I'm loco?!"

It wasn't long until security was called, and the crowd was forced to disperse and leave the arena while Legends were escorted out. Anita had a few words for him when they boarded the dropship about trying to pick a fight in a mob, but he didn't care. She told him to wipe the smug look off his face too. Whatever. That guy was an asshole, and he wasn't about to stand by and let some jackass shove his boyfriend around, no matter how much Elliott had claimed afterwards that he "had it under control." Maybe he did but, Octavio didn't feel like taking that risk today; and he wasn't a "short ass".

* * *

"Does it hurt?" Octavio asked, eyeing the fingerprint sized bruises that were beginning to show up on the fleshy underside of his lover's arm.

"Nah," the trickster replied, giving them a light rub with his hand. "I've had worse."

"I shouldn't have called that random meet and greet," Octavio continued, with a sigh. "But I didn't know what else to do for a distraction."

"It's okay," his boyfriend told him, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'd rather have to go through that, than see you get hurt again. But I think you might owe Anita a drink...or seven."

The runner swivelled in his stool at the breakfast bar, when he laughed and grinned at his partner, who offered him a soft look of adoration in return. The pair had decided to skip the afterparty for the most part, having only made a brief appearance to shake hands with a couple of sponsors. Elliott had whispered in his ear that he wanted to celebrate the show's success with just the two of them. How could Octavio say no to that? He wasn't expecting his partner to go all out for the occasion, but he was more than happy to contentedly sip on his iced soda while the trickster worked on preparing them a nice dinner.

"I'm really happy you came today," he said, idly twirling his glass between his hands.

"I am too. I'm sorry I was such a dick about it before," Elliott replied, coming to drape his arms around the younger legend's neck, before dipping his head to kiss behind his ear, as he whispered: "You were incredible."

"Really?"

"Yeah. The whole thing was amazing."

Octavio rested his hands firmly on his partner's hips, in thought.

"Maybe it's...kinda stupid but...every time I looked at you, you looked so...proud of me. I don't think I've ever really had anyone look at me like that before. It made my heart all…," he paused, gently thumping his palm against his chest to signify what he meant, making the trickster chuckle.

"Are you sure that wasn't just the adrenaline, babe?"

The speedster shrugged bashfully.

"Actually now that you mention it…"

"Damn," Elliott replied, feigning offense. "Way to make me feel like a crappy boyfriend."

"Oh, whatever," Octavio teased. "You know you're perfect."

"Oh, really?"

"Perfect for me."

The trickster laughed quietly, placing a soft kiss on his lips.

"Cheesy."

"You love it."

"I do," Elliott said, offering him another quick kiss before stepping away. "But I should really get a move on with dinner."

Elliott was perfect. That was something that would always remain true in Octavio's mind. Elliott was always kind to him, even in times where maybe he didn't deserve it. He was always willing to share everything he had, without Octavio ever having to ask; his home, his family and friends, his favourite places, his good times, his bad times...everything. Octavio never thought he'd fall in love. It wasn't something he ever really thought about before, but now he doesn't know how he ever lived without it. He would've laughed once, if someone told him he'd someday be skipping a party to dreamily watch someone peel potatoes, but right now, he couldn't imagine being anywhere else. He just loved looking at Elliott, but loved how Elliott looked at him, even more. From the way his eyes were full of concern, when he rushed to hug him after the show, asking if he was okay before he'd even noticed his own scrapes and bruises he'd received from the crowd, to the way they'd found each other's eyes from across the room at the party, wordlessly communicating their distaste at their respective potential sponsors. His heart had been pounding in his chest every time he saw him, all evening; as if trying to tell him something he already knew, and perhaps had known for a while. They had talked about the wonderful future they might have together, but why couldn't they have that now? Why couldn't the future be now? The beating in his chest only intensified, when he thought about it, and only continued when his eyes drifted towards his boyfriend again, who was now standing with his back to him, preparing something on the counter. Octavio didn't want to live in the future or the past or anywhere else but here.

"I'll be right back," he said, hopping out of his seat, receiving a peppy "okie dokie," in response.

Octavio wanted to live in the moment, and more than anything, he wanted to do that with Elliott.

Elliott decided to turn on some music, now that he was alone, while he continued getting his ingredients together. He snorted when he opened the cabinet, finding the herbs and spices upside down, taking a moment to readjust them.

"Dammit, Tav. You troublemaker."

He wanted this dinner and evening to be absolutely perfect, to celebrate Octavio's big night but also as a way of apologizing for how he'd acted before. He was glad he'd convinced the runner to not go ahead with the finale stunt, but also learned to maybe have a little more faith in him and what he was capable of. Whether he liked it or not, Octavio was the professional when it came to this stuff, so maybe putting some more faith in his judgement wasn't the worst idea in the world. He didn't want to suffocate him, if continuing these types of shows was a dream he wanted to pursue. But, of course, he'd always be by his side to try and coax him away from the super crazy stuff. Octavio had always supported him and his ventures, and he just wanted to return that. They were a team, after all. Elliott wasn't sure how much time had passed, since Octavio had left. He was too busy humming along to the radio, while he carefully measured different quantities of herbs and spices, wanting this meal to be the best one he'd ever made. Which is maybe why, he jumped so hard when his name was suddenly called from behind him.

"Elliott?"

He turned slowly, placing a hand over his mouth at the sight before him; his boyfriend dropped onto his knee, having changed into a dark grey button down shirt, that maybe could have used a good iron, but still made him look more handsome, despite the obvious nervous look painted across his features. Something clicked inside Elliott's brain then, but it didn't quite fit together right, leaving him somewhere between disbelief and uncertainty that this was actually happening right now.

"What...Babe...What are you doing?" he asked breathlessly, his tone making Octavio's eyes fall awkwardly onto the tiles beneath him.

"I...uh...was kind of...gonna ask if you wanted to...get...married...sometime?"

The trickster's hands flew to his cheeks, feeling the heat of his own skin as he looked down at his partner. His stomach pooled with an excited nervousness, which made him feel like he was going to throw up. He'd never imagined this would happen to him, which is why his feet were carrying him to their bedroom before he could think to stop himself.

"Oh, this is...n-not...oh m-my gosh..."

"Elliott?!" the runner called after him, slowly getting back to his feet.

He felt like an utter fool right now, as he scrubbed a hand through his dark hair. What the hell was he thinking? He was an idiot to think would Elliott ever really want to marry someone like him. Especially when the proposal was made in a kitchen. Elliott deserved better than all of this, and Octavio knew it. He wrapped his arms around himself, mortified. He'd really blown it this time. Part of him wanted to turn on his heel and run out the door and never come back, if it meant he never had to face this embarrassing situation he'd gotten himself into. He'd almost lost all hope, until Elliott came barreling out of their bedroom, almost tripping over his own feet on the way, as his fingers fumbled with the box he was holding, and it took Octavio a few seconds to register what it was; a ring box.

"Tav…," Elliott began, still as breathless as earlier. "Would...will...you marry me?"

The runner blinked at his lover a couple of times, unable to believe what was happening.

"How...What...Why do you have a ring too?!"

Elliott took a tentative step towards him.

"Because...I love you?" he told him, a shy smile spreading to his face. "And...I guess I'll be honest. I've had this...for a while."

Octavio's hazel eyes sparkled, meeting his partner's, which were sharing a similar look.

"You have?"

"Yeah," the trickster whispered, coming closer. "I...when I found out Mom was sick...I didn't want her to miss out, y'know? _I_ didn't wanna miss out. I always thought she'd be there to help me pick out the perfect ring, when the time came. It just...it was just something I always wanted to do with her. So, when we visited at Christmas, and she told me what was wrong...I was afraid I'd miss my chance, because someday...she might not be able to do that stuff. I felt so bad for ditching you when we went to the city but...that's what we were doing and...I, ah...I hope this will make up for it."

Octavio swallowed harshly, feeling a lump beginning to form in his throat.

"It does."

The pair looked down at the box, Elliott was fidgeting with, before meeting eyes again and laughing at each other's foolishness.

"Now what?" the speedster asked, noticing how lovely his boyfriend looked right now, with that sheepish expression on his face. "Do you...want to wait or…?"

"No," Elliott replied, shaking his head. "I...think I've waited long enough. I feel like all I ever do is wait. Unless...you want to wait. Then….we can. It's okay."

"Do I look like someone who wants to wait?!" Octavio exclaimed, making them both laugh again.

The trickster nodded, unable to fight the urge to grin.

"Okay, well...you started this thing. You go first."

The runner nodded, and got onto one knee for the second time that evening. He took a deep breath, trying to formulate all the things he wanted to say to his partner. Elliott watched him with soft, misty eyes, tilting his head back as he fanned his face with one hand, while Octavio took the other in his own.

"I'm already gonna cry."

"Elliott Witt," he began, his own eyes beginning to prick with emotion. "You are...the most incredible...awesome person I've ever met. You've always been kind to me, good to me and loved me when...when I thought no one ever would. You make me feel...like I'm the most important person in the world and I...just want to spend every day trying to make you as happy as you make me feel...every damn day. I love you, Elliott. You've helped me be a better person. I know I haven't always been the best boyfriend but...I promise I'll try my best to be the most kickass husband the Outlands has ever seen!"

"You will be," Elliott blubbered. "I know you will."

"So…," Octavio continued, smiling brightly as he reached into his shorts pocket to produce the engagement ring he'd purchased all those months ago. "Elliott, mi amor...will you marry me?"

"Yes! God, yes," the trickster nodded vigorously, and he didn't think it was possible for him to cry any harder, but he was overcome with a wave of emotions as Octavio slid the cluster of diamonds onto his trembling finger; he cried even harder when it ended up being a perfect fit.

"It's be-beau-beautiful, Tav," he said, allowing himself to be pulled into a tight and comforting hug, by his now fiancé.

"I love you so much, Elliott," the runner said, which Elliott took as his cue to try and pull himself together.

He wiped at his cheeks, and took a few deep breaths before getting down on one knee in front of the younger legend.

"I guess it's my turn now, huh?" he chuckled quietly, reaching up to retrieve his phone from the counter.

He clicked into his notes app, until he found what he was looking for, and placed the device on the floor so it was within glancing distance, if he needed it.

"I...uh...maybe had some...words prepared for this."

Octavio offered his hand out to him, which he graciously took, taking the opportunity to clear his throat, before speaking.

"Tav, I never thought I'd ever meet someone who makes me feel the way you do. You make me feel like I can do anything I set my mind to, and you're always there to support me no matter if things are good or bad. You're the most passionate person I've ever known, and you make me laugh harder than anyone else. You...make me feel loved, Tav. You met me when...when I wasn't at my best. And you still loved me. And that means more to me than I could ever begin to tell you."

He could feel the runner's fingers grow clammy in his hand, very obviously trying to hold back tears of his own. Elliott offered him a comforting smile, before glancing down at his phone and back to him.

"I...wish I had time to learn this off by heart but...Octavio, eres el amor de mi vida. Quiero pasar el resto de mi vida contigo. Te casas conmigo?"

The hair on the back of Octavio's neck stood, at his words and he bit down on his lip, before emitting a small laugh.

"It sounds so hot when you talk like that. You've been practicing."

"Maybe a little," the trickster laughed with him, squeezing his hand lightly, his brown eyes filled with hope. "So...will you? Marry me?"

"Hell yeah, I will!"

Elliott had barely picked himself up off the ground, before Octavio was jumping into arms and squeezing him tightly, laughing excitedly.

"I love you, Tav."

"I love you, Elliott."

The trickster brought his hand to rest against his firancé's cheek, brushing his thumb lightly over his freckled skin. He felt like his heart might burst with adoration for this man in his arms. He really hadn't expected this to happen today, or to happen in their kitchen of all places, but he wouldn't trade the moment they'd just shared for the world.

"I need to tell everyone about this right away!" the speedster said, excitedly pulling out his phone until a gentle hand was placed on his arm.

"Hey, let's just...keep this to ourselves," Elliott requested softly. "At least for tonight."

Octavio nodded in agreement, meeting his partner's eyes, as they shared a look that held a thousand words. Elliott wrapped his arms around him, pulling him into a kiss that was almost as deep as their love for each other. They didn't need to say much else, and were happy to just remain in each other's embrace, listening to the sound of their relieved breaths; both somewhat overwhelmed by the day they'd had.

"I literally cannot stop crying," Elliott eventually laughed through a series of sniffles. "I'm a mess but I'm happy, I swear. I'm so happy."

"I'm happy too, amor," Octavio hummed, leaning into the hug. "I'm always happy when I'm with you."

* * *

Octavio couldn't contain the tired laugh that escaped him, when they lay in bed together later that evening. Elliott looked towards him, running his index finger along the runner's collarbone, following the trail down to his bare chest.

"Something funny?"

Octavio shrugged bashfully, turning his head to meet his fiancé's eyes.

"Nothing. I'm just...happy."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "I mean...if engagement sex is that much better than just boyfriends sex, then marriage sex is gonna be off the charts!"

Elliott shook his head, with a hearty laugh that made the runner's stomach flutter.

"I think it looks good on me," the trickster mused, holding his hand above their faces, to inspect the new, glistening addition to his finger. "I love it."

"It looks really good," Octavio agreed, absentmindedly toying with his own ring. "It suits you. We look awesome."

"We do," the trickster hummed, snuggling closer, before chuckling quietly. "We're just a pair of idiots, really."

"For real."

"I know it doesn't really...change anything between us but...Now that we're engaged…," he paused to smile. "It feels so weird being finally able to say that but...it really feels like that future we planned together can actually...happen."

"I hope so."

Elliott sighed contentedly, his tone shifting to something more airy.

"Just you, me, a couple of dogs and all the babies we're gonna have."

Octavio rolled his eyes, nudging his lover playfully.

"_One_ baby."

"No," Elliott replied coyly, shaking his head. "We're gonna have so many babies!"

The speedster giggled uncontrollably when his partner snaked his arms around him, pulling him closer before burying his face into his neck, tickling him. Octavio was more than happy to be cuddled and kissed by his partner, until the moment was interrupted by the sound of a distant popping and crackling, causing Elliott's hold on him to turn from playful, to something more protective.

"What the hell is that?!"

Octavio emitted a small, excited gasp when the realisation hit him.

"The fireworks!"

"Tav! Oh my God, wait!" the trickster called after him, somewhat flustered as he watched his lover kick the blankets off and dash into the living room. He quickly slipped on one of his robes, grabbing one extra and followed him, finding him jittering excitedly on the balcony.

"Put some clothes on," Elliott murmured, draping the spare robe over the younger legend's shoulders. "I can't have you getting in trouble for public indecency on our engagement night."

He assisted Octavio in covering up, before pulling him into a one armed hug from behind, listening to every sound of joy the speedster made while the sky lit up with a rainbow of colours above their heads.

"Wow. They look amazing."

"Fireworks never get old!" Octavio said, pointing towards a particularly colourful one. "Check that one out!"

"Come 'ere," Elliott said, gently spinning his future husband around to face him.

Octavio draped his arms around his neck, shooting him the most beautiful smile, before the distance between them was closed, and their lips met in a kiss that was soft, yet full of all the passion and love they could never quite put into words. The trickster ran his fingers down the speedster's spine, when they parted, holding him close again.

"I wanna stay like this forever," Octavio eventually said, resting his head against his partner's chest, with a satisfied sigh. "I wouldn't even care if I never got to run again. I just wanna stay like this forever."

"Maybe we can," Elliott hummed, placing a kiss into the younger legend's hair. "We can at least give it our best shot, right?"

A soft smile formed on his lips, when he took Octavio's ringed hand in his own, squeezing it tightly, as they looked out over a much more colourful, and brighter Solace City.

Maybe happy endings weren't so overrated, after all.


End file.
